The hidden habit that can quietly make your energy bill £145 worse

If you're trying to reduce your energy costs, there's one everyday habit you may want to reconsider. Leaving household appliances like microwaves, fridges, and TVs on standby could be adding as much as £145 a year to your energy bill - that's 16% of the average annual energy cost. A recent study by energy efficiency experts at Electric Radiators Direct highlights just how much "standby" appliances are costing UK households.

They've broken down the cost of keeping devices on standby by fortnight, month, and year, and the yearly cost alone is equal to two full months of energy bills.

Even when you're away, these so-called "vampire devices" appliances that consume power even when not in active use are quietly draining energy and money.

According to the study, leaving devices plugged in while you're on holiday wastes almost £6.80 over two weeks, nearly double the price of a morning coffee. Over the course of a year, that adds up to £145.

"These devices, dubbed 'vampire devices', are using electricity whilst they're resting, draining energy and money from your bank account at the same time," the report explains.

Each month, appliances left on standby are costing households over £12, the same price as a standard Netflix subscription.

The research also revealed that unplugging 20 common household devices while away for two weeks could save nearly £7.

To put it into perspective, with the average coffee now costing £3.35, that's the price of two coffees just for forgetting to flick a few switches.

Some of the worst offenders include gaming PCs and consoles, which cost around £4.87 per month when left on standby, adding up to £58.44 per year.

In contrast, the least costly appliances to leave on standby are electric hobs, which use just 5p per month, or 60p per year.

Stephen Hankinson, an energy efficiency expert from Electric Radiators Direct, said: "Putting something into standby mode is not the same as totally switching off a device or unplugging it. You're only really putting the device to sleep.

"This means that it will be drawing out some electricity in the background, which is where the phrase 'vampire device' comes from.

"It sounds so simple, but switching your appliances off at the wall really is the best way to ensure you're not spending your hard-earned income on keeping things in standby mode.

"The cost of a couple of coffees might not concern you, however, £145 is a big food shop, two tanks of petrol or even a nice meal out. There really are much better ways to use this money than giving it to the energy companies."

So next time you're heading out, whether for work, the weekend, or a holiday, it might pay off to do a quick check around the house and switch off your vampire devices.