With Easter just around the corner, many Britons may be planning to go on holiday, leaving their homes vacant over the extended weekend. As the cost of living continues to rise, many Britons are looking for ways to save money where they can. Property expert Thomas Goodman from MyJobQuote has shared which appliances homeowners should switch off before they go away on holiday and how much it costs if they don’t.
Kettle and toaster
Both the kettle and toaster are not only fire hazards, but are significant energy drains when left plugged in.
A typical toaster and kettle left plugged in and switched on will still use electricity, even though they are not in active use.
Together, they can increase energy bills during a seven-day holiday by over £14.
Make sure they are both unplugged before leaving for a holiday.
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To stop this happening when you’re away on holiday, homeowners should turn off their stopcock.
Homeowners will need to know where their stopcock valve is.
It’s normally under the kitchen sink, in an airing cupboard or under the stairs.
Wi-Fi Router
Wi-Fi routers only use a small amount of energy as they’re meant to be left switched on the whole time.
However, if homeowners are away for a few weeks, switching the router off can help reduce energy bills.
The average Wi-Fi router uses just 0.008 kWh which means turning it off for a seven-day holiday would save just under £2.
Electric heaters
An electric heater must always be switched off when not in use.
Leaving an electric heater on overnight is a fire hazard and can damage the socket it’s plugged into if it overheats.
Before going away, ensure all electric heating devices are switched off and unplugged.
Boiler
If you are going on holiday during the summer months, the experts advise switching your boiler off.
However, some boiler systems may cause more issues when turned off for a long period.
For example, some boiler systems’ valves or pumps can seize up.
Boilers that are serviced regularly or serviced before going on holiday by an engineer will be able to determine any issues that could have an impact.
If you are going on holiday in the winter, however, then it is more advisable to leave the boiler switched on.
Most modern boilers have an anti-freezer setting which means homeowners won’t come home to frozen pipes.
Don’t switch off
Fridge freezer
Fridge/freezers must be left switched on to avoid food or medication spoiling while on holiday.
A fridge/freezer left to defrost and warm up will leak water, causing a risk of fire hazard and flooding.
Instead of switching this off, throw away any food that’s taking up valuable space or won’t be consumed in the fridge or freezer.
This will avoid you coming home to mouldy food and will ensure the fridge/freezer uses less energy to keep food items cold.