State pensioners urged to switch off 'thirstiest' device adding £171 to energy bill

State pensioners urged to switch off 'thirstiest' device adding £171 to energy bill
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


The thirstiest home appliances that will drain your cash and add extra to your energy bills this winter has been revealed. Some gadgets use far more power than others, so knowing which ones to use less could make a big difference to your bills.

A quarter of UK adults struggled to pay for their energy last year reports the NEA. “Millions of households face another dreadful winter, resigned to increasing energy debt or not heating their homes at all,” says Adam Scorer, chief executive of the NEA.

In the past three months alone, the survey found that 48 per cent of adults reported turning off lights more often than they wanted. Another 23 per cent said they resorted to cold meals to avoid using the oven, and 4 per cent of respondents admitted to reducing their use of essential medical equipment.

READ MORE Jay Slater investigator will reveal truth 'when time is right' but 'has got to be very careful'

Additionally, a fifth (18 per cent) of adults surveyed reported having reduced their spending on essential items or services, eight per cent have borrowed money from friends or family to cope, and four per cent have missed payments on other critical household bills, such as rent or council tax.

The NEA says it will continue to advocate for long-term solutions and policy amendments to address national fuel poverty rates and improve the energy efficiency of UK homes. The worst offenders and how not using them efficiently could add extra to bills this winter has been revealed by the Sun newspaper.

When it comes to power-hungry appliances, electric showers top the list. With a running cost of £2.87 an hour, these showers are the worst offenders, according to the NEA. The NEA study also noted that prepayment meter users were facing challenges in payment, with over a third (37 per cent) of those included in the survey having gone without power or heating when they needed it.

The rise in the per unit price of energy has now been capped at £1,717 per year for a typical household. The changes come on the heels of record-high energy debt, which now stands at £3.7 billion, according to Ofgem.