Appliances
All those labour-saving devices which have transformed householders’ lives over the last century – vacuum cleaners, washing machines, spin dryers, tumble dryers, dishwashers – may save labour but use energy. Instead of muscle power they use electricity, which has to be generated, usually from non-renewable sources such as coal, oil, gas and nuclear power. See our energy section for more information about different sources of energy. Many come with built-in clocks, timers and indicator lights so they may be using energy even when they are not in use. Find out the energy usage of all your appliances on sust-it.net, including the standby power consumption.