Some households could be paying out as much as £300 extra in energy costs during the summer months, it has emerged.
New research from home energy-saving assistant Loop has revealed the worst culprits for adding to energy bills when the sun is shining.
Comparing a number of popular appliances used during the summer including electric patio heaters, air conditioning units, hot tubs, and outdoor pool heaters, Loop has calculated how much they could add to bills.
Research showed that pool heaters could add an extra £120 to costs, with hot tubs pushing up bills by almost £90 and patio heaters increasing charges by £65.
Steve Buckley, head of data science at Loop said: “There are lots of things that people can do to make their homes and gardens as enjoyable as possible over the summer.
"It’s important to consider not only how much some of this outdoor equipment could be adding to your bills, but also the impact they have on the environment as we have a collective responsibility to tackle the climate crisis.”
Mr Buckley also reminded householders to take care when using electric devices in the open air.
He said: "If you’re using electric appliances outside you might need to use an extension cable, but make sure you unwind it fully first if you’re using it for an extended period to avoid any dangerous overheating.
"You should also ensure it doesn’t get left out in the rain unless it’s designed to be used in this way.”
Breakdown of costs to run popular summer appliances
Item |
Cost for 8 hours |
If used for 8 hours every day for a month |
| 2800W Garden pool heater | £4.03 |
£120.90 |
| 2000W Hot tub | £2.89 |
£86.70 |
| 1500W Garden heater | £2.16 |
£64.80 |
| 1003W Air conditioning unit | £1.44 |
£43.20 |
| 40W Fan | £0.06 |
£1.80 |
