Cost of living crisis: 4 ways a plug-in timer can save you money

ven with the announcement of the lowered energy price cap, a typical household’s energy bill will rise over £500 from 1st October to £2,500 a year. Coupled with rising inflation, UK households are worried about making ends meet this winter.

A plug-in timer is a nifty device that allows you to automatically turn electrical appliances on and off. With many available for less than £5, a plug in timer could help you conserve energy and save on your electricity bill this winter. 

As autumn sets in, the electrical experts at Toolstation explain four ways you can use a plug-in timer to drive down your energy bill.

TV

According to Statista, in the UK, we watch an average of 3 hours of TV each day. The rest of the time, the majority of us leave our TVs on standby – needlessly using electricity.

One of the main reasons most of us leave our televisions on standby is because it’s frustrating to have to fumble behind the TV to turn the socket on and off. Plugging your TV into a plug-in timer avoids this frustration while ensuring your device doesn’t sit on standby for long periods at times when it never gets used – like at night.

Heated airer 

Electric heated clothes airers allow you to dry your clothes conveniently, whatever the weather. They already use far less energy than tumble dryers but using a plug-in timer can make them even more energy efficient. 

By setting your plug-in timer to 30 minute intervals, you’ll use half the amount of energy to dry your clothes. The airer will remain warm in between intervals too, meaning it shouldn’t impact the drying time too much.

Slow cooker 

With rising gas prices, slow cookers are being recommended as a cost effective way of preparing food. These days, the majority of slow cookers come with a built-in timer but if yours is a little older, you may have to manually turn it off and on. If you forget to turn it off, you risk not only overcooked food but also wasted money.

Using a plug-in timer to control your slow cooker means you can schedule when your slow cooker turns on and off. This means, even if you’ve been out of the house all day, you can walk in to piping hot food! 

Deterrent lights

Lots of homeowners like to keep a light on when they’re away from home to deter thieves by making it look like somebody’s inside the house. But burglars are likely to see through it when the same light is left on for a long period of time. Plus, this will use a lot of energy.

A better option is to use a plug-in timer to control a couple of lamps throughout the house – deterring thieves by making it appear that somebody is moving through the home. 

Simon Oram, Electrical & Smart Technology Manager at Toolstation has some advice for choosing a plug-in timer: 

“Plug-in timers come in both mechanical and digital versions which suit different needs. Mechanical versions tend to be more affordable but some find them a little fiddly. And while some say mechanical plug-in timers are more durable, digital ones do offer greater programmability. For example, you can set different schedules for different days of the week.

“If you’re just looking for ways to save on your energy bill, essentially, a mechanical version is all you need.”