Teaching your kids good habits is paramount to raising conscientious, healthy human beings.

One great habit is conserving Energy. It’s a good idea to teach them about the importance of conserving energy while they’re young, so that when they’re older and paying their own bills, they’ll have the natural knack for turning off lights, not letting the water run, and being energy conservative in general.

In this post, we share ways you can instill the notion of Energy Efficiency into your children’s daily habits that will carry them into the future.

How to Teach Your Kids to Save Energy

1. Talk about Energy Efficiency 

If you were to sit with your 6 year old and ask them what energy efficiency means, do you think they could define it?

Spend a moment in time to sit down and explain to your child what energy is!

Energy is water, electricity, gas and even the weather.

Explain to them that running water for short periods of time, turning lights off, unplugging electronics when not in use, and closing the refrigerator when not in use, will aid in energy efficiency.

Allow them time to asks questions and to answer why this is important.

It’s important because energy conservation attributes to a healthier planet, lower utility bills, and a more efficiently run home.

2. Build Good Habits

They say that it takes 21 days to form or break a habit, and for more challenging life-changing items, it takes a bit longer. But if we can focus with our children on one month at a time, we can set goals and see if they can hold onto them.

Try for one month to introduce the notion of changing their energy habits, and don’t overwhelm yourself or them.

3. Make Notes about Their Use

Grab a stack of sticky notes, and start by walking around the house with your child to mark items they touch and handle on a daily basis.

Make a note on their bedroom light switch that says “Turn Me Off,” place a note on their video game console that says the same, and also put a note on the bathroom mirror that says something like “Water Between Brushing!” to encourage them to only run the water when they need to rinse their mouths.

Another way to save on energy is by unplugging their cell phone once it’s charged. With a full charge, there is no reason to keep it charging.

You certainly want to put a note on the bottom of the television! When it is not in use, it should be turned off.

Think of other ways they can keep the cold or heat in depending on the season. For instance, a note on their door to keep it closed, or keeping the heat from a space heater in the room rather than escaping out to the colder areas of the house.

Remind them to keep their curtains drawn on a sunny day to prevent extra heat from getting into the house.

Windows should always be closed while the air conditioning or heat is running so the air doesn’t escape.

Another place where a note must be placed is on the refrigerator door.

Teach them to open it quickly and get what they need as fast as possible, rather than dawdling while cold air escapes. When a refrigerator is opened too often and is constantly fighting to stay cool, it works on overdrive and uses more energy than it should.

4. Make a Reward Chart

Charts work really well. They are a visual tool that lets your child see what they’re accomplishing, and keeps them motivated for the task at hand.

Grab some paper and a ruler and make them a chart. Have them decorate it as they wish!

Inside each square you can set rules. For every 2 energy efficient tasks they accomplish, they get a star.

When 25 stars add up, consider doing something fun, like having a movie night with popcorn together, or taking them for an ice cream treat. A goal of 25 stars in 30 days would give them a month to accomplish their tasks, allowing a few days for forgetting.

It’s not a huge investment in your time or theirs, but its one that’s well worth it. With a little focus, you’ll have your child on an energy efficiency track in no time.

Start Saving!

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