Eight in 10 households admit to having at least one bad energy habit, with the worst offender being gadgets left on standby.

According to research from price comparison website Uswitch, a third of households leave mobile phones plugged in after they’re fully charged, while a fifth leave the TV on even though no one is watching.

But the biggest waste of energy and money come from making a brew and doing laundry.

For a quarter of Brits, by overfilling their kettle, they’re paying an extra £55 a year.

Uswitch data revealed 28% of people set their washing machine at more than 40^oC, potentially costing up to £26 a year more than washing at 30^oC, while one in six run it when it’s not full.

With washing machines costing households £38 a year on average, an extra wash every week could add an extra £9 to yearly bills.

By not using the eco-setting on a tumble dryer, this could add £53 to bills.

The cost of bad energy habits

The table below lists the extra annual cost of energy bad habits, and the potential savings you can make:

Time to make good energy resolutions

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch, said: “At a time of year when we’re all coming up with New Year resolutions, it’s a great moment to get into good energy habits and save yourself money.

“We’ve all been guilty at times of leaving the lights on or overfilling the kettle, but it’s important to remember that these habits can all add hundreds of pounds a year to our bills.

“Even with the Energy Price Guarantee, bills are higher this winter than they were last year, but there are a lot of ways households can cut down their energy use.

“Doing your best to get into good habits could be a great starting point, and saving money might be as simple as using the eco mode on your white goods and making sure you only run them when full.”