Save energy (and money!) in your home

Appliances and gadgets
• Lighting
Close to 96 per cent of the power that drives an old-fashioned incandescent lightbulb goes to produce heat instead of light (which explains why those bulbs are so hot to the touch). Compact fluorescent bulbs generate far less heat, enabling them to produce almost four times more light per unit of energy (the replacement for a standard 60-watt bulb typically uses about 18 watts). These efficient bulbs also last more than 10 times longer, meaning that they earn back their higher initial cost several times over and save you time and hassle in buying and replacing bulbs (not to mention the emissions involved in making and shipping them). The whiter light of the cheapest fluorescent bulbs takes some getting used to, but there are new versions that mimic incandescent light more closely.

What about halogen light? These are a subset of incandescents and tend to be middle-range performers in the greenhouse stakes. High-quality halogen bulbs are around twice as efficient as typical incandescents. However, they're still half as efficient as compact fluorescents, and halogen light fittings often take multiple bulbs, raising their overall energy consumption. Whatever kind of lights you have, turning them off when you leave the room is an obvious energy-saver. Organizing your home to maximize the use of natural light -- putting desks next to windows, for instance -- can also help.

• Invisible power drains
The proliferation of remote controls and consumer gadgets has come at a surprisingly high energy cost. In the typical modern home, 5 to 15 per cent of all electricity is consumed needlessly by TV sets, stereos and other devices that are supposedly turned off by are actually on standby. Indeed, some devices use almost as much energy in standby mode as when they're in use. To stop the waste, unplug items -- or switch them off at the socks -- when they aren't in use. A power strip with a switch can help if you don't have switches on your sockets.

Computers vary widely in terms of the energy they consume in standby and screen-saver modes. Turn them off when not in use or, even better, dedicate their downtime to the fight against climate change.

• Refrigerators and freezers
These are among the biggest users of energy at home -- not least because they're running 24/7. Models produced since the 1990s are far more efficient than their predecessors, so if yours is old, consider taking the plunge: a modern replacement could recoup its costs within several years and save plenty of energy from the start. Be sure to dispose of the old one properly, as older refrigerators contain ozone-depleting chemicals. Check with your local government or a home-appliance dealer for more information.

If possible, locate your fridge or freezer as far away as possible from hot-running items such as ovens and dishwashers.

• Doing the dishes
Like fridges, dishwashers vary widely in their energy consumption, so be sure to consider efficiency when purchasing. As for how they compare with washing up by hand, this depends on the individual machine (some models use less than 15 litres of hot water per load), the efficiency of your hot-water heater and, most importantly, how economical you are when washing up by hand. A much-cited 2004 study from the University of Bonn suggests that dishwashers use less energy overall than the typical person at a sink, but this doesn't include the production and delivery of the machine. Moreover, the study gives figures for hand-washing that can be slashed with just a bit of care, and assumes you run your machine with full loads, skipping extra features such as "pre-rinse."

• Washing clothes
To save energy (and minimize colour fade) keep washing temperatures as low as possible to get the job done well. Even more worthwhile is letting clothes dry on a line or rack rather than using an energy-hungry dryer.

Learn about easy ways to save energy in your kitchen.

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Excerpted from The Rough Guide to Climate Change (1st edition) by Robert Henson, published by Rough Guides Ltd. Copyright 2006 by Rough Guides Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.