What you pay for all this every year will be an electric shock

If you are one of the sad people who still irons their clothes, are you aware that an hour's hard graft with a standard steam iron consumes around 22p worth of electricity? If you're only ironing them because they came out of tumble dryer all wrinkled, you are already 50p down ... and if you pop the kettle on for a cup of tea to recuperate, your electricity meter will start whirring madly.
Reducing the amount of electricity consumed at home by modifying behaviour and buying the most energy-efficient products, is one of the easiest and greenest money-saving things you can do. With a few simple changes, it is possible to save £100 a year on your bill - and reduce your carbon footprint.
Figures published on the energy saving website sust-it.net show that different home appliance models use hugely varying amounts of electricity. Tumble dryer users, who must surely be on Greenpeace's most wanted list, are paying anywhere between 30p and 70p per cycle - depending on which model they have. The website is appealing to everyone to check the power consumption of the models they are considering before buying.

At the same time, energy monitors that show householders how much electricity is being used at any one time have come down in price: they are now less than £50. The monitors, which are expected to be given out free with all electricity meter changes after May 2008, have been shown to cut consumption by up to a quarter - paying for themselves in around a year.

This week, Owl launched a monitor for £49.99. It shows the value of the electricity being consumed at that moment on a hand-held LCD screen. For details, visit theowl.com. Until recently, good quality hand-held monitors have typically cost £70.

Owl warns that once you've got a monitor, you will become passionate about turning things off. It also suggests that consumers will be surprised at which devices consume the most power around the home.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, around 27% of the UK's CO2 emissions come from individual homes, with the average UK household creating six tonnes of CO2 every year.

It estimates that £7.5bn worth of household energy is wasted in the UK every year. Around £3bn worth of electricity powers consumer electronic and computer products alone - 30% of the average household electricity bill. Keith Berry, Owl's chief executive says: "Research shows that UK consumers are keen to take personal action on climate change, but are still unsure of what they can actually do on an individual level. Until now, we've had to wait until our quarterly bills land on our doormats, before we can see the quantity of electricity we've used.

"By actually viewing the cost of the energy you are using and the effect on the environment as it happens, it's easy to make instant changes that will not only help fight climate change but will really save you money too."

Rival supplier, thegreenshop.co.uk, offers a similar product for £44.95 - it also sells a whole host of other energy-saving devices.

Meanwhile, if you are happy to wait until May next year, you may be able to get a monitor for free. The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform is keen on these devices and has decreed that they will be included for free with any electricity meter exchange after that date.

People who already have a modern meter will be able to ask for a free monitor at some stage after that date.

Consumers wanting to compare the energy consumption of an electrical product prior to purchase should visit sust-it.net. This extensive site lists most major white goods, computers, TVs and other electrical items according to their annual consumption. The figures quoted vary enormously - even for very similar products.

m.brignall@guardian.co.uk

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