Ten gadgets that will save money on energy bills this winter

Shoppers can save themselves money this Black Friday by buying energy saving gadgets that will reduce their power bill, reveals Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.

Slow cookers, heated airers and electric blankets are among the low-energy devices that can be cheaper to run than other household appliances. 

Other items like draught excluders and water-efficient shower heads can cut energy bills and pay for themselves in a few months. 

Draught excluders — which can cost as little as £4.79 for tape that seals gaps to prevent hot air escaping — can slash energy bills by £25 a year, meaning they pay for themselves in only two months. Other items, like radiator reflectors that reduce heat loss and smart power strips that prevent devices from staying on standby mode, take longer to pay for themselves. However, they remain effective for many years to come, meaning they could start saving consumers money in just a year’s time. 

Table: Energy efficient Items for the home

Source: Uswitch.com

Electrical items for kitchens and bedrooms can be equally as effective at reducing energy consumption in the home. 

Slow cookers and microwaves use less energy than ovens, while using an electric blanket to heat the bed in the evening can mean thermostats can be turned down by a few degrees without leaving people cold under the sheets. Using an electric blanket for 30 minutes a night to heat up the bed only costs around 6.7p a week. 

Most households will rely on drying clothes indoors during the winter months, but it is possible to save money by using a heated airer instead of a tumble dryer. A tumble dryer could cost 9p per cycle per kg of clothing, versus an air dryer costing 5p to run per kg. 

Table: Electric appliances to save energy

Source: Uswitch.com

Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Black Friday is commonly associated with fancy new technology and big discounts off fashion items, but spending on the right gadgets could save consumers money on their energy bills in the long run. 

“At a time when many people are trying to save money on their bills, now might be a good time to make relatively inexpensive changes to the home that can make a big difference to your energy consumption. Many of the energy efficient items on our list will pay for themselves in a year or less through savings on your energy bill, and the fact that they will last for many years means they come with a long-term benefit.”