Saving energy not only helps support our environment, but it can also save you a good deal of money over the years ahead. Encouraging your child to become energy saving savvy will help our future generations understand the need to care for and protect our fragile and ever-changing planet.
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In recent years, we have all become increasingly aware of the need to save energy in our everyday lives. Energy saving not only supports the wellbeing of our planet, but also makes far better financial sense in our current economical climate.
Energy Saving Week (20 October to 26 October) organised by the Energy Saving Trust aims to promote energy saving action among householders. And despite the campaign running for a week, it provides guidance and advice on energy saving for every aspect of our everyday lives all year.
Karen Lawrence, head of advice at the Energy Saving Trust, explains: ‘Climate change is arguably one of the most important global issues now affecting millions of UK households. It is no longer just a Government problem to be tackled on a policy level, but something everyone is thinking about on a daily basis. We've all been asked to change certain daily habits.’
Time to change
Getting the whole family involved in saving energy around the house makes for some invaluable learning opportunities for our future generations and will help them be more financially savvy.
Switch off – remembering to switch off lights, appliances, and turn things off ‘standby’, can really help save energy and money. Make it into a game with your child where you go around the house switching things off – make sure you explain the things which need to be kept on such as the fridge/freezer.
Think about ways making your house more energy efficient – from draught excluders to replacing appliances with more energy efficient ones, make sure you include your child in decisions and explain things to him/her. Let your child help wherever possible – by making their own draught excluders for example.
Bill time – show your child the household energy bills and compare them after you’ve put in place some energy saving measures. They can work out the differences based on what you’ve saved.
Set up a compost heap for scraps – not only will your child gain a practical experience of the food cycle, but by composting at home, the Energy Saving Trust say you can save as much CO2 as a kettle produces in a whole year, and you’ll also be helping fertilise soil.
When preparing a meal try to reuse leftovers – your child can help you think of imaginative recipes to make with the ingredients. In fact, if everyone in the UK eliminated their food waste, the CO2 saving would be the same as taking one in five cars off the road, say the Energy Saving Trust.
Recycling – encourage your child to help you sort the recycling from all the bins in the house – not just the kitchen bins. This will help them gain a practical understanding of materials and how they can be reused.
For more information on getting your lifestyle more energy efficient and helping save our planet – and your pennies, visit: energysavingtrust.org.uk
