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Things are looking very bleak in the UK for the next couple of years. By far, the biggest issue we all face is the massive increase in the cost of electricity and gas.
In the past few months, I have done some posts on the current running costs of portable air conditioners, washing machines and fridges.
In those posts, my conclusion was that they are not actually that bad. Air conditioning has the worst reputation, but with record-breaking temperatures this year, I didn’t feel that 33.60p per hour running cost was all that bad.
Unfortunately, those posts were all based on the current variable tariff rate. I used 28.02 p/kWh, which is quoted from British Gas and Bulb. This is 105% higher than in 2021.
October Energy Price Cap
In October, there will be another price increase, and it will be 80% this time which would take the cost of running an air con from 33.60 pence to 60.48 pence per hour.
You probably won’t need your air conditioning in October, but this price hike will be crippling for many people.
The price cap is confusing and vague, with it being stated as the average annual cost for dual fuel customers. It is annoying, but the argument is that it is up to the supplier to set the rates how they want, it can be split between the standing charge and cost per kWh.
Ofgem has published some example prices, which make it a little easier to understand.
| Last price cap period(1 April – 30 September 2022) | Current price cap period(1 October – 31 December 2022) | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | £0.28 per kWhDaily standing charge: £0.45 | £0.52 per kWhDaily standing charge: £0.46 |
| Gas | £0.07 per kWhDaily standing charge: £0.27 | £0.15 per kWhDaily standing charge: £0.28 |
Phantom Energy
Most of us have all read about phantom energy costs in newspapers. If you are not aware, it is the items that draw electricity across the home 24/7. These devices are not essential like fridge freezers and often don’t draw much energy individually, but lots of devices using electricity 24/7 over the year can add up to a lot of money.
I personally went around my house trying to work out what was worth turning off or not, and I struggled to find anything that I felt was drawing enough electricity for me to justify turning off.
But again, this was earlier in the year, prior to another price hike.
Inspired by a Reddit post, and a lot of my data is taken from that post, I decided to retest various devices that we typically leave on 24/7.
I will expand the list as I test more devices. I have added a couple of appliances on the list, such as a fridge freezer. These are not really phantom energy costs but it is worth being aware of the price.
There are a few things worth noting. In general, it is recommended not to switch your router off frequently, it can introduce network problems. Similarly, a lot of OLED TVs will refresh the pixels during standby and considering how little they use electricity when in standby, it is not worth switching them off.
| Consumption (W) | Annual cost in £ | 80% increase in October in £ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Echo (2nd Gen) | 1.9 | 4.92 | 8.856 |
| Amazon FireTV stick (2nd gen) | 1.5 | 4.15 | 7.47 |
| Ambi Pur plug-in air freshener | 2.1 | 5.44 | 9.792 |
| Apple laptop charger (knockoff) | 0.3 | 0.78 | 1.404 |
| Apple phone charger | 0 | 0 | |
| Bedside alarm clock/radio | 0.8 | 2.07 | 3.726 |
| Beko under counter fridge | 23 | 56.58 | 101.844 |
| Brother colour laser printer | 1.6 | 4.15 | 7.47 |
| Dell laptop charger (recent model) | 0 | 0 | |
| Desktop PC | 1.2 | 3.11 | 5.598 |
| Dishwasher left on but not running | 0.9 | 2.33 | 4.194 |
| LG GSL760PZXV American Style Fridge Freezer | 70 | 171.55 | 308.79 |
| LG home theatre c.2010 | 0.1 | 0.26 | 0.468 |
| Microwave oven, Matsui brand (~25 yrs old) | 6.1 | 15.81 | 28.458 |
| Motorola phone charger (2020) | 0 | 0 | |
| Netgear 5 port gigabit switch | 1.4 | 3.63 | 6.534 |
| Qnix 27” monitor | 0.5 | 1.3 | 2.34 |
| Sky Q broadband router | 7.2 | 18.66 | 33.588 |
| Sky Q Mini box | 9.1 | 23.58 | 42.444 |
| Sky Q STB – recording while in standby | 13.8 | 35.76 | 64.368 |
| Sky Q STB – standby | 11 | 28.5 | 51.3 |
| TV – LG 39” (2014 model) | 0 | 0 | |
| TV – LG C1 (2021 model) | 0.2 | 0.52 | 0.936 |
| Virgin Hub 3 router | 12 | 31.09 | 55.962 |
| Washing machine – on but not running | 1.1 | 2.85 | 5.13 |
| Whirlpool washing machine (c.2005) – off | 0.1 | 0.26 | 0.468 |
| Zanussi dishwasher, c.30 years old | 0.1 | 0.26 | 0.468 |
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
The big surprise for me was the microwave entry at £28+; does your do anything else than display a clock while in stand-by?