7 appliances to unplug every day to reduce your electricity bill

With electricity bills set to rise by almost 10% for households across France, here are 7 appliances you can unplug each day to lower your monthly bill.

At a time when controlling energy use has become a priority for both financial and environmental reasons, it is worth reviewing everyday habits. Industry professionals estimate that up to 10% of our electricity bill may be linked to appliances left on standby. This means a meaningful share of a household’s annual energy spending could be avoided through simple actions and changes to how domestic equipment is used.

In France, the number of electrical and electronic appliances left on standby in a home ranges from 15 to 50, according to the same estimates. Although they may appear inactive, standby mode still uses a significant amount of electricity.

Most of these devices keep a small transformer running continuously, converting alternating current into direct current and creating additional energy use. Since 2017, a European directive has capped standby consumption at 0.5 W, rising to 3 W for connected devices.

Even with this rule in place, residual consumption can exceed 50 watts per household. This can lead to a sizeable increase in the electricity bill, estimated at at least €80 per year.

The 7 appliances to unplug to reduce your electricity bill

To save money, simply unplug a few appliances each day. Take care, however: some equipment, including washing machines and dishwashers, needs to remain on standby for safety and durability reasons. Others can be unplugged to reduce the monthly bill. Here is the list of the 7 appliances that use the most electricity.

• The television: it is the leading standby energy user. A television can consume up to 180 kWh a year, the equivalent of a refrigerator, despite the latter being used continuously. When on standby, it uses between 1 and 2 W per hour.
• The desktop computer: with its many components, a desktop PC uses a great deal of energy, especially in standby mode, where it can account for substantial annual spending. The more powerful it is, the more it consumes. Gaming PCs, for instance, can be real money pits, particularly when fitted with LEDs.
• The games console: surprisingly, 91% of the energy used by a games console is attributed to the time it spends on standby. It is therefore advisable to unplug it after every use to prevent needless consumption - unless updates matter more to you than your energy bill.
• The internet router: although it uses 30% less energy on standby than while operating, unplugging your internet router can help reduce your electricity bill. Naturally, switching it off can be inconvenient, so it is best to unplug it when nobody is at home.
• The smartphone charger: often left plugged in all the time, a charger continues to use electricity even when no phone is connected. If you have a latest-generation smartphone, there is a good chance that it has an intelligent charger that uses almost no power on standby.
• The printer: occasional use does not justify constant standby consumption. It is therefore better to unplug it after use. Most printers have a timer that switches them off after a period without printing.
• Small kitchen appliances: coffee makers, espresso machines, toasters and other kitchen appliances left on standby use unnecessary energy. It is better to unplug them when they are not in use.

Daily habits that cut electricity use

Other ways to save electricity

In addition to these targeted measures, adopting energy-saving habits every day can make a significant contribution to reducing your energy bill. Using high-consumption appliances during off-peak hours, turning the heating down by one degree, selecting appliances’ eco modes and installing programmable switches are all useful practices.

Responsible purchasing is also an important way to reduce energy consumption. Before buying a new appliance, it is advisable to check its energy label and favour equipment carrying the Energy Star label, which guarantees better energy efficiency.