YOUR games consoles could be pushing up your energy bills – and it's all because it's in the wrong place.
The average energy bill is currently capped at £2,500 but the exact amount you pay can be higher or lower depending on usage.
Despite the cap, households are still looking to save where they can.
Many households will have a games console in their home, either to entertain kids or to chill out after work – but they are pretty energy-heavy devices.
And having it in the wrong place could have an even bigger effect than you realise.
A PS5, for example, costs 60p for every five hours of usage, according to energy expert Nicholas Auckland from Trade Radiators.
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But if your console is in the wrong place, it could be adding an extra 40p to your bills.
So if you played your games console for five hours a week, this could be adding an extra £52 to your energy bill.
Of course, the exact amount it's costing you can depend on a number of things, including how often you play your console.
Nick said the main problem is consoles overheating and overworking themselves very quickly.
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The hotter the machine gets, the harder it has to work and the more it costs to run.
"It's really important that you place your console on a stable surface, and in a well-ventilated, cool area away from any heat sources such as radiators," Nick said.
"Similarly, you must make sure that you place it away from other items in general, and you definitely shouldn't place anything on top of the games console as this could block the vents, causing it to overheat."
But this isn't the only way you can save on the cost of running your games console.
Nick said opting for an energy-saving mode is the "ideal way to make gaming more efficient".
He added: "Make sure that it's turned off – not on standby – when not in use is another way to save money."
"You should also avoid using your games console for streaming and watching TV.
"Although modern games consoles offer this option, games consoles were designed to play games and not stream, meaning that they use up a lot more energy than other devices that do the same job."
How else can I save money on my energy bills?
It's not just having your game console in the wrong place that's unnecessarily adding to your bills.
Where you put your washing machine can see costs rack up if you're not careful.
There are a number of ways the appliance can be prevented from working properly which will lead to repairs needing to be done.
And Checkatrade says these types of repairs cost you as much as £180.
Meanwhile, if you've got a tumble dryer, it might be worth opting for a different method of drying your clothes.
The appliances are some of the most energy-guzzling in your home and a 2,500-watt model costs 85p an hour to run.
In comparison, a typical heated airer costs about 16p an hour to run.
Yes, it might take more time to dry your clothes, but even still, if you used it for four hours (64p), it's still cheaper than using a tumble dryer for one hour.
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Beyond this, washing clothes at lower temperatures can also help slash your bills.
Particularly dirty items need a higher temperature wash, but cleaning most of your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40 degrees could save you £9 a year.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
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