The biggest users of electricity around the home are white goods - the tumble dryer, the refrigerator and the washing machine. New fridge freezers – provided that they are not American-style – can save up to 50 per cent of the energy use of old machine. Look out for energy labels, and buy an A or AA rated appliance.
The next greediest device is the television. A small liquid crystal display (LCD) screen uses much less electricity than an old cathode ray tube-based TV, and will save 60kg per year in CO2 emissions. Avoid large plasma flat-screen TVs which have very high electricity consumption.
Beware of standby, and look out for appliances with low consumption of electricity on standby - there are enormous variations. For example a DVD recorder can use a tenth of the electricity on standby than when it is in use. So if you use your machine 2 hours a day, it may be consuming more electricity on standby than in use. Digital set-top boxes can add around 2% to the electricity consumption of the typical home. Buy one with a low standby power consumption and turn it off at all times when not in use.
See top tips for more information on saving energy with household applicances.