Time to Change - calculate how much energy you could save

DATE ISSUED : 21.01.2008

An estimated 15.4 million outdated domestic appliances are still in use in households
across the UK. These fridges, freezers and washing machines are at least 10 years
old and are needlessly wasting energy and water. Replacing these old machines with
today’s high efficiency models could save 3.6 TWh of electricity a year; sufficient
energy to light a large town - or a million homes - for an entire year.

Today, the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) unveils
Time to Change, its new initiative to encourage the public to replace the 11.7 million
fridges and freezers and 3.7 million washing machines1 that are guzzling resources in
kitchens (and garages) around the country. The cornerstone of the campaign is a
new website www.t2c.org.uk where the savings calculator demonstrates how, thanks
to advances in technology over the last decade, replacing ageing products with new
energy efficient models can result in personal savings and make a real contribution to
the environment.

Keying in the type of appliance and approximate year of manufacture instantly pulls
up how much electricity, money, C02 and water could be saved, if the old model was
replaced with a new A+ appliance. Depending on the type of appliance, replacing an
outdated machine can typically halve electricity usage, cut energy bills by around £36
a year, reduce household carbon emissions by some 180 kilos and reduce water
consumption by a third. To make it easier to envision these savings, there are
practical comparisons illustrating what the energy units or kilos of carbon saved
equate to in everyday terms –- days of light bulb use, kettles of water, or balloons
filled with carbon dioxide.

1 Source: Market Transformation Programme