Leaving gadgets on standby costs an extra £52m a year

A BOOM in the number of gadgets in Scottish homes has seen the amount of energy we waste soar.

In total, families north of the Border could save £52million a year by switching off devices on standby, the study claims.

More than half of people polled admit to leaving the TV on in a room when it is not being watched, while the number of gadgets such as smoothie makers and coffee machines has soared by almost 60 per cent.

Almost 30 per cent blame their spouse for leaving appliances switched on around the house. Men are more likely to blame their partners than women, with 33 per cent of men blaming partners compared to 25 per cent of women.

The findings are revealed ahead of the launch of Big Energy Saving Week next Monday – a joint campaign with Energy Saving Trust, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland aimed at helping people cut their fuel bills. The number of gadgets people keep in their homes has grown rapidly, which is having an impact on energy costs.

More than three quarters of people in Scotland admit to regularly leaving at least two devices on standby, with convenience the most commonly given reason. A TV box left on standby for 20 hours a day could increase bills by at least £20 a year.

Mike Thornton, director of Energy Saving Trust Scotland, said: ‘More and more, we are seeing people wasting money on their bills because they prefer to leave things on standby rather than switching off – adding around £30 to their bills every year.

‘Working out what you can and can’t switch off can be a real pain for some of us, but it doesn’t have to be like that.’

He advised consumers to plug anything that cannot be switched off into a single extension socket.