Keeping your home comfortable and energy efficient is a job the whole family can take on. This fall, teach your children about energy use and conservation by incorporating simple energy-saving activities into daily chores and household routines.
“It’s important to get the entire family involved in energy efficiency to help save on energy bills and reduce the impact on the environment,” says Dave Walton, director of home ideas at Enercare Home Services.
“Teaching kids how small changes make a big difference, like turning off the lights when they leave a room, will help keep them energy-savvy for years to come.”
Walton offers these kid-friendly efficiency tips to get the whole family involved in reducing energy consumption:
Unplug electronics before leaving for school. Teach kids that “vampire electronics” like chargers, laptops and video game consoles all draw power and mindlessly suck away at your energy bill, even when they’re not turned on. In fact, standby power consumption can account for five to 10 per cent of your electricity bill.
Open the curtains and drapes. Summer may be over, but the sun’s warmth can still be felt inside. Before running out the door to school, children can open drapes and curtains to let the sunshine in.
Use a programmable thermostat. Get kids involved when setting the times and temperature on your thermostat to match your family’s fall schedule. It’s a great time
to teach kids that you can save up to three per cent on heating costs for every degree lower you turn the thermostat.
Lights out! Challenge kids to turn off the lights every time they leave a room, even if it’s only for a few minutes. If the sun is shining when they’re doing homework after school, remind them to open blinds and use natural light instead of electricity.
– www.newscanada.com