It's something you probably use every day morning, noon and night, given that the average British person consumes 2.7 cups of tea per day.

What you may not realise is that your kettle, as a rapid boiling heating device, is actually one of the most expensive appliances in your whole house to run, it's just that it's only used for a few minutes at a time.

But your kettle's contribution to your energy bills doesn't end when the cuppa's brewed, and in fact a typical UK kettle will keep on running up your meter even when it's not in use.

That's because, according to energy experts at British Gas and at Smart Energy GB, a kettle continues to draw power even when it's not being used.

Because a normal kettle has no 'off switch', it carries on using up electricity when it's plugged into a socket in your kitchen, unless you have a switch to turn off at the wall or you unplug it. And unless you do that every day, your kettle has been adding to your electricity bills this whole time, for absolutely nothing.

British Gas says: "Small changes to how you use electricity can add up. Unplugging appliances like kettles and other appliances instead of leaving them on standby are good habits to get into and every little counts towards lower energy bills."

This is backed up by Smart Energy GB which says: "Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record. Your fridge and freezer will also need to be on all the time to maintain a safe temperature.

"So, what should you unplug to save electricity? Any appliance that doesn't require permanent power or use - such as phone chargers, lamps, and kettles. Make sure you've double checked your appliances' instructions before switching them off at the mains.

"If you find any of these types of appliances plugged in at the wall with the socket switch on when they are not being used, turn it off. Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without affecting its settings.

"If in doubt, you can also unplug appliances to save energy. Try to get into the habit of unplugging appliances that are fully charged or are no longer in use."