Households can reduce their utility bills by over £500 a year by making small changes to the way they use their household appliances, according to AMDEA.

By simply always using the ‘eco-cycle’ on washing machines and dishwashers, consumers can save an average of more than £90 a year.

Taking a similar approach to the savings offered by all their essential appliances, householders can reduce their average annual bills by around 20%, explains AMDEA.

Washing on ‘eco’ is one of many easy ways to reduce energy bills showcased on Know Watt’s What, a website providing expert advice direct from appliance manufacturers to help households save money, using the energy-efficient features in the 156 million appliances installed in their homes. It also aims to dispel myths and misunderstandings.

The Know Watt’s What site highlights many potential ways to save, including an average:

• £54 per year by using the eco mode for every laundry load.
• £37 per year by always using the eco mode on a dishwasher.
• £58 a year choose rating ‘D’ over ‘G’ if replacing a fridge-freezer.
• £130 using a heat pump dryer instead of a condenser tumble dryer.
• £108 a year just by ensuring the family’s daily shower is no longer than five minutes.
• £33 a year by cooking a baked potato in a microwave once a week, rather than the oven.
• £20 a year using the fan rather than the conventional setting on an oven.
• £57 a year if you rely on sensor technology to detect half load washes.
• And a surprising £280 a year on a twice-weekly cappuccino fix, if you dust off your coffee machine to be your own barista.

The advice on AMDEA’s Know Watt’s What is provided by a panel of experts representing the leading brands of appliances, found in all homes.

AMDEA’s panel of experts say the key ways to save money are using appliances’ design features better, choosing energy-efficient replacements and preserving the appliances’ performance with good maintenance.

The advice comes as consumers brace for higher energy bills this winter. Even with the most recent changes to the price caps, government figures suggest that at 34p/kWh electricity charges will be 80% higher than a year ago (18.9p/kWh).

Despite the implied guarantee that annual household bills will not exceed £2,500, the more homes use the more they will be charged – reducing use is a priority.

Currently, the vast majority of users ignore the eco settings on their washing machines. An appliance survey on behalf of AMDEA found that although 57% of the washing machines in households offer the program, and 32% of dishwashers have this technology, less than one third (29%) of these machines are always used on this setting.

Manufacturers’ performance criteria indicate that simply pressing the eco button instead of other alternatives means average household washing bills would drop by up to £54 on laundry and £37 on dishes, for at least 16 million washing machines and 4.6 million dishwashers that have eco-mode. Beyond the impact on individual household budgets, nationally the consumer overspend potentially exceeds £734 million.

AMDEA chief executive, Paul Hide, said: “Millions are missing out on the money-saving potential that that the sustainable technology in-built in their appliances can provide. Our industry experts are keen to show householders – facing current pressures on the cost of living – that today’s fridges and washing machines can do a great job using a fraction of the energy and water needed a decade ago.”

He added: “Know Watt’s What is the coming together of industry advice to householders on how to purchase, use, maintain and repair appliances, with reducing energy use as a priority.”

Remarkably,  despite deep public concerns over energy prices and the cost of living, when buying a new appliance, people’s primary consideration is still the purchase price tag rather than the running cost.

The survey showed 34% thought the purchase cost extremely important versus 27% for energy efficiency. To guide potential buyers to a better long-term decision for their pockets, Know Watt’s What also includes a lifetime savings calculator according to energy ratings.

Other features on Know Watt’s What include:

• Household hacks for saving while you wash, cook and clean.
• A quiz to test savings savvy, with a prize draw to win a coffee machine.

For more information, click here.