Look for the label

When buying a new appliance, there are two key energy labels to look out for:

• the Energy Saving Recommended logo can only be used on the most energy efficient products, usually the top 20 per cent of those available
• the EU energy label is now obligatory for all white goods and ovens in the UK; it grades products from A (best) to G (worst) for energy use (the scale now goes up to A for fridges and freezers)

You could also look at how water-efficient a new appliance is - as a rule, the more energy efficient a machine is, the less water it will use. EU energy labels show litres of water used per wash.

• when choosing a washing machine, a good guide is to look for a machine that uses less than 50 litres per wash
• for dishwashers, try looking for one that uses less than 15 litres per wash

• UK dishwashers ranked by water efficiency
• UK washing machines ranked by water efficiency

Dispose of old appliances safely

It′s important to recycle your old appliances. Dumping old machines can lead to harmful chemicals escaping and causing pollution. What you can do with them:

• many of the major stores will take away your old appliance when they install a new one - ask if they will do this when you buy
• councils have to collect unwanted white goods from householders
• you can take your old appliances to the local tip for free
• Disposal of bulky items