Needless to say, a newer fridge might consume far less power. And we've discussed that a newer TV would similarly save on power. After that, it's basically light bulbs and (if you've got it) air conditioning and/or electric hot water heater.

Going from incandescent light bulbs to LED bulbs is a huge big deal. Not only do you save the primary power consumption, but you also save the AC necessary to remove all that heat. Plus sitting under incandescent or halogen bulbs can feel like your head is getting toasted.

Air conditioning, of course, is a massive power sink. In a place like Houston it's not optional. Fancier thermostats let you schedule the fan to run independent of when the AC runs. This was hugely helpful for our house.

Water heaters, like all things, age out and need occasional replacement. If you're looking at an older electric water heater, then you may wish to consider alternatives there as well.