According to research by Strathclyde University, 13% of the average electricity bill is down to appliances on standby!

The Northern Ireland Electricity board calculates annual standby costs as:

Microwave £7.10  

Cooker £5.07  

TV £5.07  

VCR £5.07

Mobile phone charger £6.08  

Cordless phone £8.11  

Answer machine £8.11  

Stereo £10.14  

Digital decoder £15.20  

Washing machine £2.03  

PC £10.14  

Printer £15.20  

PC Speaker £5.07  

Turning these off standby could save you over £100 a year

The Energy Saving Trust says that each energy saving bulb could save you £7 a year - many supermarkets are selling them at 99p

If you turn down your house heating thermostat by 1 degree centigrade you will save 5-10% of your heating costs.

If you have a modern condensing boiler, running the heating water at 60 rather than 70+ will save you money

35% of heat is lost through non insulated walls, and 25% through the roof. Make sure your cavity walls are insulated and roof insulated with at least 100mm - 200mm is ideal+

Wash clothes at 30 or 40 - not 60. Most detergents are formulated to perform at 30 or 40