BANK holidays are expensive enough without blowing extra cash on your energy bills.
Powering our homes has been one of the biggest strains on household finances over the last year.
Ofgem announced this morning that its next energy price cap dropped to £1,923 a year from £2,074 a year – a reduction of around £151.
But despite the fall, families will be looking for ways to save wherever they can.
But you might not be aware a number of appliances and devices can churn through energy even when you're not using them.
The so-called "vampire appliances" drain your electricity when they're left on standby.
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Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch, said: “Many consumers have a number of devices in their homes that use energy while on standby, including TVs and games consoles.
“The good news is that most of these devices use very little energy in standby mode, although these costs can add up."
We reveal the biggest energy-sucking devices and appliances you should be switching off this bank holiday.
TV
A TV left on standby can churn through energy like you wouldn't believe.
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Natalie said: "A 0.005kW television left on standby for 16 hours a day would cost around 17p a week to run — adding up to £8.84 over the course of a year."
While a 5W television could cost you up to £13.14 a year if left on standby.
While this might not seem like much, it's a bit of extra cash that you could put towards your grocery bill or a treat like a coffee and a cake.
So if you're the type to not fully switch it off, think again.
Set top box
A set top box is also known as a cable box, or you might know it as your Sky, Virgin or NOW TV box.
But leaving one of these on standby could be pushing your bills up by around 0.8p in 24 hours, or around £2.92 a year.
This cost could rise significantly if you have an older model as they tend to be less energy efficient.
Remember though, if you are turning it off, make sure you've not got any programmes set to record.
Wi-fi router
Turning your wi-fi router off could save you around £26.28 a year.
Of course, it might not be worth the hassle of turning this off just before you go to bed if you want to wake up to wi-fi the following morning.
But if you've got enough data on your mobile, you can always use that instead of the wi-fi.
However, an expert has also warned about the risks of turning off your wi-fi repeatedly, so keep this in mind.
Games console
Your PlayStation uses 5.2W of energy when it's on standby.
This costs you around 2.5p over the course of 16 hours and around £13.70 over the course of a year.
Computer
Leaving your computer on standby uses little energy compared with other vampire devices.
It costs 0.4p to leave one on for 16 hours, which is just £2.19 over a year.
While it will only save you a small amount, it's always worth making sure that you're not wasting unnecessary cash.
Fridge
You may have an extra fridge to store food or drink for a special occasion, like a summer BBQ.
But you could be wasting money if this fridge is left empty most of the time.
The average fridge uses around 166kWhs of power per year, costing 0.56p an hour.
Over the course of a year, this works out at a whopping £49.06 over the course of a year.
Outdoor security lights
Security lights are an effective way to deter burglars and keeping an eye on who is at your door when it is dark.
They turn on automatically once someone is nearby.
But oversensitive lighting that turns on too easily can see you pay around £39.42 a year based on 12 hours of usage.
Outdoor lighting
Similar to security lights, many homeowners may keep lights on outside their home.
The lights can be useful if you are arriving home in the dark and may also make the exterior of your property look nicer.
They use around 35w of energy, and cost 1.1p per hour to run.
So if you kept them on for 12 hours a day for a whole year, this would cost £48.18.
Electric towel rail
An electric towel rail can warm up your towels or help dry your clothes.
But there is a price to pay for this comfort as it costs 0.09p an hour to run.
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So if you kept the rail on all year round, this would add up to £78.84 a year.
Meanwhile, we reveal how to beat rip-off broadband and mobile bills and save £900 a year with little-known tricks.
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