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Fun Ways to Teach Children About Energy Savings

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Fun Ways to Teach Children About Energy Savings

Kids are never too young to learn about conserving energy in your Crystal Beach, Florida, home, especially with the amount of electricity they’re using with their tablets, smartphones, and gaming systems. Although learning about energy conservation is an important part of children’s education, it may not always be fun. With just a little bit of creative thinking, you can change that. Here are several ways you can make teaching kids about energy savings enjoyable and educational.

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Explain What Energy Is and Why It’s Important

Keep the conversation age-appropriate, and discuss with the kids that we all need electricity to have lights, heat, air conditioning, music, and television. Show them the transmission poles with the lines outside, and explain that electricity is made at generating stations and can come from coal, natural gas, wind, and water. Talk about how the electricity is sent through the wires and then enters your home. Show them where the meter box or panel is, and show them how fast the meter spins when you’re using a lot of electricity. Consider having a home energy audit performed, then use the results to show the kids ways to reduce energy loss and usage.

Go on an Energy Treasure Hunt

Discuss with children why it’s important from an energy perspective to keep doors and windows closed. Explain that when the back door is left open, windows aren’t closed or sealed properly, and there are drafts under the doors, precious warm or cool air escapes. And that means your HVAC system has to work harder and longer to make more, wasting electricity. Create an energy-loss treasure hunt in which the kids search the house for drafty windows or doors, lights left on, and even appliances that aren’t energy-efficient.

Learn About HVAC Maintenance

Kids enjoy participating in simple household tasks, so have them help you with changing your air filters. As you remove the dirty ones, explain how the filters trap dirt and prevent it from coming inside and getting their toys dirty. Let them know that with clean filters, the HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard to deliver the right temperature of the air and that the inside of the house will be cleaner. Give them a damp cloth, and have them help you wipe down vents and registers. You can explain that because the air passes through here, they need regular cleaning. Show them the outside HVAC system units, and have them help to keep them clear of debris. Explain that there are many other parts of the HVAC system they can’t see, but because you have a maintenance agreement with an experienced technician, they’ll make sure everything is running smoothly and saving you money.

Create Energy-Saving Challenges

Kids love to play games and get rewards, so create energy-saving challenges. Not only do these games reinforce positive behavior, but they also encourage actionable habits. Make a chart for your refrigerator that assigns point values for every action each child takes to help conserve energy. Every day, they’ll add one or two things they did to help with energy conservation, such as keeping doors and windows closed, spending less time on the computer, or unplugging electronics when they aren’t in use. Whoever has the most points at the end of the week gets a reward.

Get Teenagers Involved

Teenagers tend to use a lot of electricity, but they also have a deeper understanding of the concept of energy use and conservation. Have them get involved by researching the most efficient HVAC systems, and washing machines. When they deliver their report, have them explain what features of these systems improve their efficiency. You can even have them research alternative forms of heating and cooling (such as geothermal energy, solar panels, and wind farms) and how they can help save the planet. Have the teenagers do this every few months for a different appliance, and be sure to reward them for their hard work.

To learn more about installing energy-saving HVAC systems, call our experts at Pinellas Comfort Systems today. You can reach us at (727) 315-0791.

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