10 Appliances to Unplug to Save Energy UK

Many household appliances continue drawing power even when you think they are switched off. Consequently unplugging these devices could save you over £100 per year — for absolutely nothing.

How standby power works: When you switch a device off using its remote or soft power button it enters standby mode rather than fully powering down. Additionally the device continues drawing a small amount of electricity to maintain its memory, clock, remote receiver or network connection. Over time these small amounts add up significantly.

Modern smart TVs are particularly power hungry on standby because they maintain a network connection to check for software updates. Additionally larger screens consume more standby power. Switching off at the wall rather than using the remote completely eliminates this cost.

Games consoles are among the worst offenders for standby power. PlayStation and Xbox consoles in particular consume significant power in standby mode because they download updates in the background. Furthermore if you have the “instant on” feature enabled the console never fully powers down. Consequently switching to energy saving mode or powering off completely saves a meaningful amount.

Desktop computers left in sleep mode and monitors left on standby both draw continuous power. Additionally many people leave their computer on a power strip alongside speakers, printers and other peripherals — all consuming standby power simultaneously. Switching the entire power strip off at the wall when not in use therefore eliminates multiple standby draws at once.

Your microwave displays a clock 24 hours a day — and that clock costs you money. Additionally the control panel and interior light standby draw add to the cost. Interestingly research suggests that many microwaves consume more electricity displaying their clock over a year than they use actually cooking food. Unplugging when not in use therefore makes surprising sense.

A single charger left plugged in draws very little power individually. However most households have multiple chargers — phones, tablets, laptops, earbuds, smartwatches — all left plugged in permanently. Furthermore older and cheaper chargers tend to draw more standby power than modern efficient ones. Collectively these add up to a meaningful cost over a year.

Your broadband router runs continuously 24 hours a day and consequently is one of the bigger standby consumers in the home. While switching it off overnight isn’t practical for everyone — particularly if you have smart home devices or security cameras — turning it off during holidays could save a meaningful amount. Additionally some modern routers have a scheduled power down feature in their settings.

Sky boxes and set-top boxes are among the most power hungry standby devices in the average UK home. This is because they remain in a semi-active state to record scheduled programmes and download software updates. Furthermore they often draw almost as much power on standby as when actively in use. However if you don’t use the recording function regularly switching off at the wall overnight could deliver significant savings.

Most home printers are used infrequently but remain plugged in and on standby permanently. Additionally inkjet printers periodically run automatic maintenance cycles that consume power. Since most households print rarely, switching the printer off at the wall between uses and only turning it on when needed is a simple and effective saving.

Amazon Echo, Google Nest and Apple HomePod devices are always listening for their wake word — consequently they draw continuous power 24 hours a day. Furthermore if you have multiple smart speakers in different rooms the cost multiplies. Unplugging them overnight or when away is a simple saving that many households overlook.

An old spare fridge or freezer in the garage or utility room is one of the most expensive appliances in your home. Older models are far less energy efficient than modern A-rated appliances — additionally they often run nearly empty which is inefficient. If your second fridge or freezer is old and rarely full switching it off and defrosting it could deliver one of the biggest single savings on this list.

💡 Pro tip — use smart plugs

Smart plugs cost around £10-15 each and allow you to schedule devices to power off automatically at night. Additionally they show you exactly how much electricity each device is using in real time. Therefore investing in a few smart plugs pays for itself quickly through the energy savings they deliver.

Save even more by switching tariff

Unplugging saves £100+ — however switching to a cheaper energy tariff could save up to £300 more per year.

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Written by the FastSwitch team · Last updated May 2026

FastSwitch is a free UK energy comparison service. We may earn a commission when you switch via our site — this never affects the deals or prices you see. Annual cost estimates are based on average UK electricity unit rates and typical usage patterns.