Ovens, kettles, irons, clothes dryers and dishwashers have two things in common.
They’re found in virtually every home – and they’re among the most expensive modern devices to run.
Do you know, for example, how much it costs to boil a kettle or throw a shirt in the dryer?
And how about sticking pizzas in the oven or making a few slices of toast?
Some of them will now cost you over a pound per hour to run.
With prices soaring, it has perhaps never been more important to do your accounts. New research recently published by the Belfast Telegraph has revealed that households in Northern Ireland are facing hikes of up to £750 in energy bills this year.
This means many people could be struggling with the skyrocketing costs of running a home in 2022.
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Aodhan O’Donnell, founder of Power to Switch, which provides independent research on energy prices in Northern Ireland, said consumers should flip the switch where possible.
“The cost of using appliances can soon add up,” he said.
“What may seem like little in a day can quickly add up over a week, month or year.
“So be aware of how much energy you use around the house and make sure to turn off appliances when not needed.”
To help consumers spend, we’ve looked at the running costs of some common household appliances, based on Power NI’s standard tariff of 23.15 pence per kWh.
Our calculations revealed that the oven and rings, costing £1.04 per hour, are the most expensive to operate.
Next, a kettle has an hourly running cost of 69p, followed by an iron at 65p, a clothes dryer at 58p, then a dishwasher at 52p.
A washing machine will cost you 51p an hour, a toaster costs 46p and a microwave 23p.
Using a hob costs 32 pence an hour, while the cost of a fridge-freezer is just 1 pence – or 19 pence a day.
Meanwhile, the cost of recharging a mobile phone is £0.009 for two hours, or around £3.38 a year, according to Mr O’Donnell.
The Power to Switch director also said small things, like boiling just enough water for one cup, could make a big difference on bills.
‘Just filling the kettle correctly could save £19 on the annual cost of electricity, think about the next time you fill up for a cup of tea,’ he added.
A table on the Consumers Council of Northern Ireland website helps calculate the running costs of appliances using different tariff rates.
He points out that electrical appliances – such as televisions, computers and kitchen clocks – consume electricity even when they are on standby.
The approximate annual cost of a standby TV is £20.28, while a PC (including monitor, printer and speakers) will set you back £30.42.
A kitchen clock costs £10.14 a year and a broadband modem costs around £28.39.
By switching off these four devices at the wall, households could save up to £89.23 a year, based on Power NI’s standard tariff.
Peter McClenaghan of the Consumer Council of Northern Ireland said your oven, tumble dryer, dishwasher and kettle “generally use the most energy”.
“Some households are very good at using these devices effectively,” McClenaghan said.
“For example, switching devices off the wall instead of leaving them on standby could save £35 a year; reducing the temperature of your washing machine to 30°C can save you around £10 a year; Lowering the thermostat just 1C could lower your energyrgy charges £80 per year.