As the cost of living crisis continues to consume Britain, many of us are looking for ways to trim our expenses.

Energy prices jumped as we moved into October so trying to limit your energy consumption seems sensible.

But that shouldn’t mean switching off the WiFi router overnight, telecoms companies have warned.

Switching the WiFi off overnight could save the average household up to £20 a year, depending on how much power the device uses and how long it’s left off for.

But while switching off the router may save you some cash, it could cause issues with your overall broadband supply.

BT, Sky and other internet service providers recommend leaving your routers on all day, every day.

BT states: ‘Constantly switching off the hub makes the line look unstable, meaning that your speed may be automatically reduced to improve the reliability of your broadband connection.’

Aman Bhatti, the director of propositions at Sky Broadband, told Express.co.uk: ‘We know our routers are put through their paces during the day – whether on video calls, streaming the latest show, or online gaming.

‘That’s why our routers run firmware updates during the night, to avoid any unnecessary disruption during the day.

‘Switching off your router overnight can affect automatic software updates and optimisations which in turn can impact the overall performance, speed and stability of your Broadband.

‘Other connected devices in the home that are connected to your router will also be disrupted by the delayed updates.’

While switching your router off may not be advisable, there are other appliances that you can power down to make savings.

Research carried out earlier this year from British Gas found that households in the UK are spending £2.2 billion a year just by leaving certain appliances on standby and not powering them off completely at night or when they leave the house.

This equates to £147 a year for the average household – the equivalent of two months’ electricity bills.

Smart speakers, laptops and phones all come under this category of devices and, as long as they’re plugged in, you’re paying for it.

While it may be convenient to leave the television on standby and wake it up with the press of a button on a remote, the move is costing people £24.61 per year, the research suggests.

This is in addition to the £23.10 set-top box from Sky or Virgin Media that you’re shelling for.

Games consoles on standby work out at an average of £12.17, while computers could cost about £11.22, says the research. So, it might be best to switch those off when you’re done using them as well.

Turning these devices off at night or when you’re done using them might help you save a tiny bit on your electricity bills.

Source: Read Full Article