What things you can you turn off at the plug overnight?

[Hellorhighwater]

I know, it’s another energy thread. After reading about the poster who was thinking of turning her electric off overnight, I was wondering about what things you can safely switch off at night (or when not in use) and if it would save money. We are unusually broke just now, but I’m sure some things use more energy (or would otherwise be more hassle, like the router) if they are switched off and on and I’m not risking the fridge myself.

I was specifically thinking of my boiling water tap (it was here when we moved in). Would it take more energy heating up everyday than staying on overnight? I don’t use it much, but I don’t have a kettle, so I’d have to boil water on the hob if I turned it off altogether.

I might turn off the phone chargers, but my phone says it will finish charging at 5.30am, so will it stop charging at all, or is that some ‘smart’ feature and it will adapt to charging just for an hour if I switch the charger off at night?

The router strops and doesn’t come back online for ages if the power goes off, so I won’t mess about with that. I am going to see if Alexa will put up with it. I’m pretty dependent on her to do a lot of morning nagging, though, so she better be good at mornings! It won’t be worth it if it takes ages to reconnect.

I do turn my oven off, because I don’t use it much, but I’m leaving the microwave on. I use it all the time, and if you switch it off, you have to reset the time before you can use it, and I can’t be doing with fiddling with it every morning before my coffee, unless anyone knows any clever tricks?

Obviously, lots of things are easy. Toaster, washing machine, telly, printer etc. but some things seem like they would be less straightforward, especially anything which connects to WiFi.

I’ve taken a meter reading to see what use (or rather don’t use!) overnight and I’ll channel my inner Dad and go round turning things off tomorrow and see what savings there are to be made. It’s more productive than worrying about the bills (although it may not produce a less worrisome bill!)

OP, what were the gas things you did please?

This is super interesting - thank you

But wrong.

If you don't use any water from your tap, them you pay energy to boil the water you put in, then you pay 3p a day just to keep it boiling

If you take water out for a cup of tea, then you put more cold water in and you pay energy to boil that water.

It's basic physics.

So effectively you are paying just as much as a kettle would cost in energy PLUS 3p a day to keep it boiling

I meant the article @cakeorwine :)

I just have my fridge and router plugged in with power overnight. Not much else I can do really.

I frequently work away from home, and live alone. I only turn the router on when I actually want to use it, so more often off than on, and after 10 years, it's still working fine.

@SpikyHatePotato

I frequently work away from home, and live alone. I only turn the router on when I actually want to use it, so more often off than on, and after 10 years, it's still working fine.

Maybe you're onto something then, I've not had a router last 10 years! Also are you never offered a new one at renewal?

I think changing inefficient light bulbs over to LED ones would be a good way to make savings

Otherwise no harm on switching things off (fire safety as well as energy), but as they don’t use much I think there are more savings to be had by eg filling the oven to batch cook, minimise use if tumble dryer, air & rewear clothes when you can etc

I think we are all LED (except those stupid GU10s in the kitchen, because I have a million of them. New ones will be)

I had no idea boiling water taps even had filters, and have never changed one!! Suppose I’d better find out how to do that!

I really don’t use it much. I might have a cup of tea in the afternoon, and a herbal one at bedtime, other than that, it’s just boiling water for pasta or eggs for my DDs tea. I’ve recently been filling hot water bottles st bedtime, and I reckon that just about empties it, so I might as well turn it off until lunchtime. I imagine it’s better than actually buying a kettle (I don’t have one)

@RandomCatGenerator

OP, what were the gas things you did please?

I turned the flow temp on the boiler down (I think to 50 for radiators and 60 for hot water. Whatever it said on MSE, anyway). I bled and hoovered all the radiators and made sure they weren’t covered by anything. I put draughtproofing tape around my really draughty front door, and did the best I could to block off the awful gas fire with magnets and a yoga mat (it’s disconnected). I have smart valves on some of my radiators, and I made sure they were off when I didn’t need them. I keep the doors to the kitchen shut (it has vents for the tumbler and extractor) and the sitting room (which is always freezing). I meant to put some more insulation in the loft (it’s a bit thin over the bathroom) but I never got round to it, because I wasn’t sure about the downlighting overheating. I think if I could get the fire blocked up properly, it would help most. It has an enormous vent and a lets in a howling gale!