Here’s how to get down to 1,000 kWh per person per year

The Energy Saving Label shows you the way when you buy new
Look for the Energy Saving Label. It can only be used on the best appliances.

The Trust’s Energy Saving Label is based on the European Energy Labelling scale of A-G, which is another good thing to look for if the equipment does not have the Energy Saving Label. For fridges and freezers A++ is the best, but A is the highest for all other energy labelled appliances.

 Read more about energy saving labels

Savings advice for the home

1. Choose notebook computers and flat screen monitors. When you choose a notebook instead of a desktop computer you can save up to 90% in energy.
2. Switch to A-rated energy saving bulbs. You can save around EUR 9 per year on your electricity bill for every tungsten filament bulb you replace with an A-rated bulb.
3. Only use halogen bulbs for spot lighting, and switch off the power to the transformer. You can replace 1 lamp which uses, say, 2-3 halogen bulbs of 10 watts, with a single A-rated energy saving bulb of 11 watts, and get lighting which is just as good. Switch off all the transformers wherever possible. These can use a considerable amount of power per year.
4. Buy A-rated large appliances, A+ and A++ for fridges and freezers. Check the energy label and preferably the Energy Saving Label. This ensures that you don’t end up taking home a power guzzler.
5. Buy AutoPowerOff plug banks for your computer and TV. An AutoPowerOff plug bank for 1 computer and 1 TV saves you over EUR 40 per year on your electricity bill.
6. Use appliances with standby consumption of under 1 watt, or switch them off at the mains. Try to have devices with low standby consumption, or switch them off at the mains if you don’t use an AutoPowerOff plug bank.
7. Choose an A-rated circulator pump for your central heating system. An old pump uses up to 4-5 times as much power as an A-rated pump.
8. Use daylight and motion sensors to control lamps. If you install automatic lighting control you won’t have to remember to switch the lights off.
9. Only run the washing machine and dishwasher on full load, and wash clothes at 30 °C instead of 40 °C. If you fill up, and turn down the temperature, your family can easily save EUR 67 per year.
10. Hang clothes out to dry instead of using the tumble dryer. Each tumble dry in, for instance, a 5-year-old C-rated tumble dryer uses 3 kWh ~ EUR 0.70. Stop using it twice a week and save over EU 67 on your electricity bill.

Switch off, and avoid wasting power
The easiest way to limit standby consumption completely is to switch appliances off  at the mains; but this isn’t the only way.

An AutoPowerOff plug bank automatically cuts the power when you switch off the appliance. This is particularly advantageous if you have extra equipment connected to the TV and computer, such as DVD, printer or modem. Switch off in one place, and the AutoPowerOff does the rest.
 Read more about AutoPowerOff

Wireless systems are also available; these switch appliances, lights and other devices on and off automatically, as required.
 Read more about wireless systems

Find out how much power your appliances use. For example, try connecting an electricity meter to the TV or your old chest freezer, and expose power guzzlers in your home.
 Read more about electricity meters