by Cooper Climate Control
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Need to save energy at home but have kids that waste it with every turn they make? When you have kids at home, it’s easy to let the things you could do to save energy slip through the cracks, never mind teaching your kids how to save energy. Taking the time to do so can save you money on your energy bill and instill good habits that will stay with your children throughout life. There are many ways to teach your kids to save energy at home; we’ll explore a few of the best ways below.
Teaching your kids about energy conservation isn’t just about setting rules and regulations; instead, it’s about letting your children see that saving energy is something that you yourself value, and how you implement those values. Teach your kids age-appropriate reasons to go “green,” followed by examples of ways to do so that they themselves can implement. In addition, do energy-free family activities together.
How to Talk About Saving Energy
Energy conservation is a complex subject, and even people who are committed to saving energy often have completely different justifications; one family might be concerned about climate change, while another just wants to keep energy bills low. Whatever your reasons, when children understand the underlying concept, they are often eager to join in helping. Help them understand what drives your values.
First, make sure your kids understand what energy is used for. Explain that energy is an invisible force. People get energy from food and use it to walk and play. Fireplaces use energy to heat the house. Houses get energy from burning things like natural gas and coal, and use it to run the refrigerator, heat the water, and turn on the lights.
Next, one of the most important ways to teach your kids to save energy at home is to make sure they understand that energy costs money. Wasting energy is similar to wasting food; it’s throwing something away without using it.
For all the education on saving energy, going to the library for age-appropriate books and educational videos can help answer questions more fully, as well as make learning about subjects more fun and interactive.
Policies at Home
Teaching your kids real life ways to save energy is the next step in applying what they’ve learned about energy. Key ways to teach your kids to save energy at home include:
- Turn off the lights when you leave the room
- Turn off the TV when you’re not watching it
- Only run the dishwasher and laundry machine when they are full
- Don’t use hot water when it’s not necessary to do so
- Have family events where you do things that take little or no energy, such as going on hikes, playing together outside, or playing board games
- Involve your kids as you do things around the house to improve energy efficiency, such as caulking windows, hiring a home energy auditor, and shopping for energy efficient appliances
Like any complex subject, to save energy at home is a conversation that should start when your kids are quite young and continue to become more in-depth as they are able to understand more.
We here at Cooper Climate Control want to keep your home energy efficient as possible. Utilize these tips and you’re on your way today!