UK consumers are losing £600m every year by failing to switch their gadgets off of standby according to a new survey.
The study was commissioned as part of Big Energy Saving Week, which also found that the average number of gadgets in UK households has increased by 31 per cent since 2010.
More than three-quarters of people (78 per cent) admit to regularly leaving at least two devices on standby and 53 per cent admit to leaving the TV on in a room when they are not watching.
The increase in gadgets is particularly evident in the kitchen, where the number has increased by 58 per cent.
It was found that more than twice as many households now own smoothie makers, electric juicers and ice makers compared with five years ago.
Energy Saving Trust chief executive Philip Sellwood said: "There is a growing black hole in our energy bills because we prefer the convenience of standby, but many of us blame each other for leaving things on around the house and it's adding £30 to our bills every year.
"Getting down on your hands and knees and working out what you can and can't switch off can be a real pain for some of us. We suggest simply plugging everything that you can switch off into one extension socket and everything that you can't into another."
The number of people with advanced set-top boxes has gone up by 52 per cent since 2010. The Energy Saving Trust said that leaving one on standby for 20 hours a day could cost around £20 a year.
Big Energy Saving Week, a joint campaign with the Energy Saving Trust, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Citizens Advice, aims to help people cut their fuel bills and obtain financial support.
Last week, the energy secretary Amber Rudd called on the Big Six energy firms to cut bills for consumers.
Sign up to the E&T News e-mail to get great stories like this delivered to your inbox every day.
