Electricity & electrical appliances

Vacuum Cleaner

• Use a vacuum cleaner only when a brush or damp mop would not do the job more effectively.
• Empty the dust bag frequently; waiting until it is full makes your cleaner work much harder to do the same job.
• Switch off and inspect your cleaner if the motor housing becomes overheated, or there's a change in the sound of the motor.

Room Heater

• Choose an appropriate size, and type, of heater. Fan heaters distribute heat more efficiently than simple bar heaters; radiators give a more even background temperature.
• Before using any type of space heater, consider putting on warmer clothing, and also ways of preventing any cold air coming in.
• Keep the area to be heated to a minimum, and make sure doors and windows are properly closed to prevent heat loss.
• Use heaters with thermostats and timers to reduce energy consumption, and keep the temperature at a reasonable setting.
• Switch off heating about 30 minutes before going out.

Dehumidifier

• Choose units with a humidity setting to prevent unnecessary usage.
• Close the windows and doors when the dehumidifier is in use.
• Clean the condenser coil frequently.

Home Entertainment

• With any type of home entertainment - radio, T.V., stereo, computer - turn it on only when you're about to use it, and don't leave it running once you have finished with it.
• Use a radio, rather than the T.V., for background music.
• Pre-set equipment with a timer to switch off at bedtime.

Hair Dryer

• Towel your hair as dry as possible before use.