British Gas, EDF, OVO, EON, Octopus customers face £395 charge they 'don't know about'

Four in 10 UK households don't know how much it costs to run household appliances, according to experts. A poll of 2,000 energy account holders found 42 per cent are unaware of the running costs of high-power everyday use electrical items.

42 per cent are unaware of the running costs of high-power everyday use electrical items - such as showers, washing machines and tumble dryers. And three in four aren't confident they know the rough daily costs, with 22 per cent thinking they could identify the annual spend.

Utilita Energy, wich commissioned the research to mark the launch of its Power Price List, has addressed the findings. The company’s founder and CEO, Bill Bullen, said: "We have a crucial window of opportunity between now and winter to educate households on how much items cost to run, and where worthwhile potential savings of up to 20 per cent can be unlocked.

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"Every penny matters as we head into the colder months, and our research reveals that millions of households would be better off knowing what electrical items cost to run, and where worthwhile savings can be made. We expect the Power Price List is the missing part of the jigsaw for consumers, and that it will hopefully give households the grounds for real change.

"Habits such as leaving items on standby and lighting unoccupied rooms all add up, and savings from simple changes such as swapping an oven for an air fryer or slow cooker can cover the cost of heating a home for a fortnight.”

It reveals that washing machines typically cost 21p per cycle, tumble dryers 53p and an electric shower 34p. It works out at a £1.08 charge per day - meaning somebody running each once a day for the whole year faces a £395 charge.

Ella Jones, Utilita’s sustainability manager, said: “The Power Price list has been built by a team of the UK’s leading energy efficiency experts over a two-year period, and will be updated every three months to reflect the latest price cap data. We will be actively tracking how many consumers use the resource and feedback will allow us to expand and develop it over time.”