Product of the Month - The B&Q Electricity Monitor

We all know that leaving our appliances on standby or using the dishwasher when it is half full is wasteful in terms of energy usage, but do we know exactly how much money we are spending every time we turn on our tumble dryer?

A product such as the OWL Wireless Electricity Monitor can help homeowners save money on a day to day basis by doing simple things like switching off lights and turning off the computer when it is not in use.

Being able to actually see the amount of electricity being used each second and the cost of that consumption is a very good way to learn how to cut down. For example simply leaving appliances on standby and forgetting to turn off lights can consume up to 23% of the average home's electricity.

It is easy to see that remembering to turn these things off can result in huge savings. £37 each year can be saved by switching off appliances you would normally leave on standby according to the Energy Saving Trust.

At just under £20, this monitor will easily pay for itself in less than a year and will make saving electricity fun and even a challenge for the whole family.

Use these ideas to cut your energy consumption:

• Always wash your clothes and dishes on a full load with cool water.
• Only fill the kettle as high as you need.
• Try to cook food partially in a microwave before finishing it off in the oven.
• Dry your clothes on radiators or outside rather than use the tumble dryer.
• Take shorter showers – get a timer for the bathroom.
• Make sure your refrigerator has good seals, the back is vacuumed regularly and it is kept as full as possible.

Even these few suggestions could lead to long term savings both for the planet and for your back pocket.