Switch off to save electricity

Turn off your television, video, stereo, games console, and other entertainment devices when they are not being used.

Many of us with use the remote to switch them off leaving the appliance running on standby.

This actually means the appliance is still using up electricity and wastes a considerable amount of energy.
By switching off at the main power button, or even the socket, you could be saving both energy and money.

Items left on standby use up to 85% of the energy they would use if fully switched on.

Tumble Dryer

Tumble dryers are commonly the second biggest energy user in the home, after the fridge. They are obviously used a lot less, but still use a huge amount of electricity when switched on.

You can avoid using the dryer so often by line drying clothes whenever possible or using an indoor clothes dryer when the weather is bad.

If you do need to use the dryer, then ensure the clothes are as dry as possible after washing, eg, they have gone through a fast spin so that there is minimum excess water. This will reduce drying time considerably.

Lighting

In most homes, about 10-15% of the electricity bill is for lighting so energy saving light bulbs can cut your costs considerably. Traditional bulbs waste a lot of energy by turning it into heat but energy saving bulbs work in the same way as fluorescent lights, the tubes coating glows brightly as an electric current passed through gas in the tube.