No, leaving your PS5 and Xbox on standby isn't the reason your energy bill is so high
Big companies are always blaming video games for something. Usually, it's violence, as any long-term player will tell you. But rising energy bills is definitely a new one. This time around, British Gas has claimed that turning off ‘vampire devices’ could save you “an average of £147 per year” or $183.
Outlined in a BBC News report, British Gas advised customers to check which devices are being left plugged in – laptops, TVs, phones, consoles, you know the drill – and turn them off to save money. It’s standard advice, but given UK’s recent cost of living crisis, it’s gone down like a lead balloon with many calling these figures inaccurate.
As spotted by Eurogamer, one response reads: «This is factually incorrect and is shameless scaremongering by British Gas. TVs have been required by law to use 0.5 Watts or less per hour in standby since 2013. That's 4.38kW per year. With electricity at 30p/kW, it will cost £1.31 per year. Saying it costs £24.61 is a lie.»
Hats off to the British Gas PR staffer who convinced the BBC to run this, uhh «internal research» document as straight-faced news, and not a transparent attempt to blame consumers for high energy prices https://t.co/A83iFg7RKpApril 27, 2022
For the unaware, we’ve seen some awful cost of living increases in the UK recently, which has significantly impacted Britain’s poorest. Rent costs are rising, food prices have increased by 6% on average, and general inflation is up by 7%. Yet perhaps unsurprisingly, average wage increases don’t match. Soaring gas and electric prices are one of the most pressing concerns, thanks to an increase in Ofgem’s price cap this month.
Given this context, British Gas has been criticized for deflecting high bill price blame onto consumers and, in
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