Everyone likes finding ways to save on their energy bill. But watching the thermostat like a hawk, turning off lights behind everyone in the house and sweating an investment in energy-efficient appliances isn’t much fun, especially when you’re trying to get the kids to play along.
Fortunately, the people at utilities like Umatilla Electric Cooperative, based in Hermiston, Oregon, have been working to make energy savings more approachable for decades.
“We really take the approach of educating kids from elementary school clear to buying your first home when it comes to energy saving,” says Jodie Thomas, public relations supervisor at Umatilla Electric. “We want to teach kids what a kilowatt-hour is and help them understand what that means for paying their bill so they aren’t learning about it the first time they have to pay it themselves.”
To that end, one of Umatilla Electric’s most successful programs for nearly 30 years is its Hydromania Summer
Science Camp, which teaches fourth and fifth graders the fundamentals of conserving energy. It introduces core concepts about how electricity works and how to use it safely.
After decades of educating kids of all ages, the team at Umatilla Electric has learned a few helpful tricks to resonate with younger audiences. Hands-on activities, such as asking kids to look through their backpacks for electronic devices and calculating how much energy they use, can drive home just how much electricity they use in their daily lives. Meanwhile, avoiding technical terms like “energy efficiency” can help saving energy feel less daunting and more fun.
Even so, Jodie finds some of the most effective ways to drive home the importance of energy conservation are the routine reminders members may have heard from their parents growing up. Luckily, there are still plenty of ways to teach your kids the importance of energy conservation while having fun as a family.
Here are some fun ways to encourage energy efficiency and conservation at home:
Cook a family-powered dinner. Have the whole family help cook dinner with one rule: No electricity is allowed. Avoid using major kitchen appliances like electric ovens, blenders, mixers or microwaves to teach kids about common ways your family uses electricity during peak demand times. Top it all off with some no-bake treats.
Take turns on power patrol. Every child enjoys being in charge from time to time. Take turns letting everyone in your family be responsible for enforcing good energy habits around the house for a week. You can even set up a point system for every time they notice a light left on in an empty room, unplug unused electronics chargers or adjust the thermostat to a more efficient setting. Offer prizes and rewards to encourage them to be mindful of energy use every day.
Build an energy-efficient dream home. Encourage everyone to design their dream home with energy-saving features in mind. This is a great way to introduce ideas like solar panels, efficient appliances and sustainable building materials. Break out the crayons and art supplies to bring their homes to life, or use household crafts to build models.
Play energy-saving bingo. Make bingo cards with squares for energy-saving actions like using natural light instead of lamps or ceiling lights, unplugging devices, turning off lights and cooling off the temperature by opening a window. Kids can cross out each square as they complete each task, and the first one to bingo gets a prize.
Have power-free fun. Designate one night a week as power-free time when everyone in the family turns off phones, computers and TVs together. Play a board game, spend time reading your favorite books or enjoy some outdoor activities technology-free. Save on your electric bill, teach the importance of reducing energy use during peak periods and get some valuable family time all at once.
Make an energy-saving scavenger hunt. Make up a list of energy-saving practices, such as updating light fixtures with LED bulbs, turning off lights in empty rooms and unplugging unused devices. Challenge your kids to search the house and check off an example of each scavenger hunt item. You can celebrate with small prizes or treats for each energy-efficient discovery they make along the way.
Create energy-efficient art. Kids enjoy seeing their artwork displayed, so put those creative skills to work on energy-efficient reminders around the house. Spend arts and crafts time teaching your kids about some of the steps they can take to save energy around the house. Make fun signs to serve as daily reminders to close the fridge quickly, turn off lights and only change the thermostat as a last resort.
Keep “phantom power” waste bottled up. Phantom energy—the electricity devices use even when they are turned off—can be a tricky concept for kids to understand. Illustrate it in a fun way by adding marbles to a glass bottle or jar every time someone spots an unused device still plugged in. Set a goal and reward yourselves when everyone keeps phantom energy use down.
No matter what you do to keep energy savings fun around the house, the most important part of instilling good habits is reliably reminding your family of the little steps they can take to be more efficient.
“The biggest challenge is consistency,” Jodie says. “We used to focus on efficiency in the spring and fall, going into our high and low seasons. But we’re always looking at the greater electric grid, and we’ve found it’s much more effective to give people a reminder throughout the year.”