As the energy price cap is set to increase once again in January, Brits are being warned that leaving appliances on standby could be adding to their rising energy bills.

Energy bills will increase by £94 for millions of households across the UK from next month, Ofgem announced in November.

The price cap will rise from £1,834 per year to £1,928 a year from the new year.

The increase has been driven almost entirely by rising costs in the international wholesale energy market due to market instability and global events, particularly the conflict in Ukraine.

The cap does not set the maximum a household will pay for their energy but limits the amount providers can charge them per unit of gas or electricity, so those who use more energy will pay more.

The £1,928 figure is based on Ofgem’s estimate of what an average household would use over a year.

Leaving a device plugged in and switched on at the mains will use electricity, even if the device itself isn’t in use.

How to reduce your energy bills as prices increase

Building and construction expert Thomas Goodman from MyJobQuote revealed how much you could be losing by leaving appliances on stand-by.

Lights

Leaving a light on overnight could be adding up to £23 to your annual energy bills.

Mr Goodman said an estimated 4.7 million homes are losing out on money as a result of leaving lights on when they’re not needed.

Installing dimmer switches for your main lights and replacing your current bulbs with energy-efficient options are good ways to cut back on your energy use.

TVs

Research shows that 98% of households across the UK admit to leaving their TV on standby at all times rather than switching them off at the plug.

This could increase your energy bill by £30 over the course of a year.

Speakers

Leaving speakers on standby throughout the day results in 90 watts of waster energy per day.

This adds up to an annual cost of £6 per year for not switching speakers off at the plug.

Chargers

Many will charge laptops, phones, or tablets overnight, but leaving them on charge for longer than necessary can waste a lot of energy.

Unplugging chargers once a device is fully charged could save you money, with Mr Goodman estimating UK consumers waste more than £28million per year by overcharging their gadgets.

Games consoles

Leaving games consoles on when they aren’t in use is costing households more than £22 per year.

Microwave

Switching off your microwave at the wall could save you £5 per year.

Its not a device many of us think about leaving on, but microwaves use an estimated 28 watts of energy per day whilst sat on standby.