While many new consumer electronics goods are now more energy efficient than ever, older appliances still eat up a lot of electricity. But this level of electricity usage can now be controlled thanks to electronic power controlling devices.

These devices reduce the amount of electricity used by the motors that power your appliances. They do this by controlling the 60-cycle sine wave that comes from your electricity supply to match changes in the load on the motor.

1. Supplying your motor with only the amount of power that it needs and no more means that your motor will operate at maximum efficiency, and will run cooler too. This way less electricity is used, and it can also help to extend the life of the motor contained within appliances such as fan ovens and fridges.

2. In the majority of modern appliances, that is those produced later than 1990, the motor built in to your appliance should closely match the load already, so a power-controlling device may well not be needed. But on certain products, especially those produced before or around this date, the devices can be very beneficial.

3. The more out of synch your motor and load are, or the larger the motor size, the more energy and money you are likely to save. Some older appliances that operate using motors may have a load that never varies. If this is the case, fine tuning your motor to the load rather than buying a power-controlling device could be all that you need to do to increase efficiency.

4. If your appliance is still under warranty, it is best to check your policy to see whether you will still be covered when using a power-controlling device. In most cases this should be fine as power-control devices are very unlikely to cause problems with your appliance.

5. There is a range of devices available that vary in size from 110/120 volt-15 amps to 220/240 volt-40 amps so that you can ensure that the device chosen matches your ampere and voltage requirements precisely.

Those looking to purchase a power-control device should have no trouble picking one up from their nearest DIY store or home centre. If they are not available here then you will find a variety of suppliers on the internet.