Save while you sunbathe: Households on holiday can cut energy bills by £14 a week while on their travels
Households who go away for a week’s holiday during the summer can save up to £14 on energy[1]
A week with no showers or using the dishwasher can reduce bills by £9.95 for a family of four[2]
Holidaymakers can save 17p by not leaving the TV on standby — but be careful not to turn off the router
Consumers can check how much energy they're using around the home with the free mobile app Utrack and see if they can save.
Holidaymakers can save as much as £14 a week on energy bills while away from their home during the summer[1], according to new analysis by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
A family of four could save £13.44 during a week away from home, while a couple could save £9.46, the research suggests[1].
Not using the shower for 10 minutes per person is the biggest saving, with a family of four cutting their energy spend by £8.28 a week. Couples can save £5.27 by not using the shower over the same period[2].
Being away from home also means not using the oven for making dinner[3], saving a family £1.33 a week, and not running the dishwasher, saving £1.67[2].
Although the washing machine wouldn’t be used while people are on holiday, households often make up for it when they get home and need to do a week’s laundry.
| Appliance | Assumption | Power (per use/cycle) | Extra energy cost per week for family of four | Extra energy cost per week for couple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric shower | Two adults and one teenage child have a shower every day for ten minutes, while a younger child has one ten-minute shower a week. | 7.5kW | £8.28 | £5.27 |
| Dishwasher | Seven dishwasher loads a week | 0.79 | £1.67 | £1.67 |
| Television | Eight hours of watching for family per day. Three hours for a couple per day. | 0.097 | £1.64 | £0.61 |
| Oven | Seven hot meals a week. | 0.63kWh per cycle | £1.33 | £1.33 |
| Kettle | 2 cups of tea a day per adult. | 3kW | £0.36 | £0.36 |
| Television | 16 hours of standby a day for a family, 21 hours for a couple. | 0.005 | £0.17 | £0.22 |
| £13.44 | £9.46 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Households can also save money on their energy bills by not leaving their electrical devices on standby. For example, unplugging a TV can save up to 22p a week in energy[4].
However, it is recommended that households do not unplug their router when going away. A Wi-Fi router is designed to be on permanently, and turning it off can make your internet provider think it is faulty, meaning you could end up with slower speeds.
Games consoles, smart speakers, laptops and computers can all be safely powered down while you are away. Although they will only save consumers a small amount of money by themselves, the costs for keeping them on standby can add up.
To help households understand and adapt their energy use, Uswitch.com recommends customers use its free mobile app Utrack, which lets users see how much power appliances are using in real time.
Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “The school holidays are the time when millions of families take a well-earned break – and it’s a great time to give your energy bill a rest at the same time.
“There’s a lot to think about before going on holiday, but unplugging standby devices should be on everyone’s ‘to do’ list before leaving the house.
“The cost of leaving televisions, games consoles and smart speakers on standby can add up, so this is a good way to make some savings on your bills.
“You can’t always tell if changing your habits is making a difference until you see your bill – which is why it can be useful to track your usage. The Utrack by Uswitch app connects to a smart meter and can show you the impact on bills with hourly graphs, comparing gas and electricity use by day, week, month and year.”
To find out how much energy you’re using, download the Utrack by Uswitch app here and connect to your smart meter.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.