ENERGY SAVINGS

Fun ways to help
children be more
energy efficient.

Encouraging children to be more energy efficient in their younger years will see them develop a lifetime of sustainable habits and choices, all while making you welcomed household savings.

Of course, transforming kids into mini eco-warriors should be fun and inspirational so these ideas are designed to teach them about energy efficiency in an engaging way with fun for all the family.

It all starts with energy education

Before kids can understand the concept of saving energy, they need to know what energy actually is, how it works and what it’s used for. There are many entertaining ways to start educating kids on energy. Age-appropriate videos or books can explain concepts simply, as can online tools or resources.

Go around the house introducing all the appliances and devices that require energy to work – you could even encourage your children to draw pictures or write a list to encourage learning. Discuss the different places energy comes from, from traditional sources like gas and coal to clean renewables such as solar and wind.

Create and reward energy-saving habits

One of the best ways to introduce the concept of energy conservation to children is by helping them create new energy-saving habits and rewarding their success in sticking to them. You could make this into a fun weekly challenge for the entire family.

For instance, you could set goals of turning off lights when they leave their bedroom, taking shorter showers or switching off all phones and tablets at the end of the day. A sticker reward chart could be used where the most energy-efficient family member at the end of the week gets a prize.

Get creative and play imaginative, energy-saving games

Cooking with your kids is a fun and educational activity that can also teach them about energy conservation. For example, you could have them make no-bake energy balls, challenge them to make dinner without electricity or teach them how to cook using a slow cooker, which uses less energy than a traditional oven, and you enjoy less clean-up!

Another way to encourage creativity is with an energy-saving scavenger hunt for your kids. Give them a list of items to find around the house that are wasting energy, such as lights left on in empty rooms or appliances left on standby mode, then once they find these items, have them turn them off to save energy.

Kids love to learn through hands-on experiments. You can conduct simple tricks and experiments that demonstrate the importance of energy conservation. Think; making a simple windmill with craft sticks and paper to show how wind power works, making a solar oven with a cardboard box and foil, or measuring the amount of water used during a short shower versus a long shower.

Summary

• Use age-appropriate videos, books and online tools or resources to educate kids on how energy works before introducing all household appliances that require energy.

• Help them create new energy-saving habits by setting fun family challenges to see who can save the most energy a week. You can even incentivise with a reward.

• Find imaginative ways to promote energy savings. These could include games and scavenger hunts, cooking activities or hands-on experiments.

ActewAGL's energy savings tips are designed to help you take control of your energy use, while reducing your bills and environmental impact. Save with great value energy plans backed by our sustainability promise, supported by 100% local, award-winning service - so you can LIVE A Good Life now and into the future.

For more information about how you can transition to an energy-efficient home visit the SolarHub & ActewAGL Smart Energy Hub today.

Disclaimer: These Energy Savings tips and articles are for information purposes only. Please ensure you are aware of any safety precautions before operating appliances or products.