With the cost of living rising and millions of us feeling the pinch, your thoughts may have turned to easy ways to save a bit of cash.
And while you may have heard of the more common ones such as cancelling subscriptions you no longer use, shopping around for things like car insurance, and setting yourself a monthly budget to stick to - you can also save a couple of quid just by switching off your appliances.
Yep, it may sound fairly obvious, but if you’re anything like me your TV hasn’t been properly switched off since the day you got it.
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Although leaving things on standby isn’t going to send your electricity bill soaring - it does add up over the course of a year and if you’re trying to claw back as much cash as you can then it’s worth taking the effort to make sure you switch your TV off from the mains when you’re not using it.
According to figures from EcoCostSavings, your average TV uses 82 watts per hour while you're using it compared to 1.3 watts while in standby mode and zero watts when it’s completely switched off from the mains.
So, by leaving your TV in standby mode all year you could be adding an extra £11 onto your bill, according to EcoCostSavings.
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And this is just for your average model - if your TV is much larger or older, then it’ll cost you more and, of course, if you have more than one TV then you can add another £11 on for each.
Research from energy supplier Utilita has found that in the average UK household 10 items are left on standby - including those that aren’t used regularly.
In fact, Utilita say an estimated 30 percent of UK households have items on standby that haven’t been used for a whole year.
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Archie Lasseter, sustainability lead at Utilita, told the Metro: “Standby mode is a real energy drainer – some items use the same amount of energy as when they’re switched on.
“In each home, leaving just one TV on standby can waste up to £16 of electricity a year, which is a staggering £432 million for all UK households.”
It's not just TVs either, as any appliances you use that are kept in standby will be costing you, so it's worth having a check to see if you can save yourself a few quid.
Claire Reid