Healthy Energy Saving Routines for Back to School

With a new routine likely started, this is the perfect time to get your kids (and yourself) into the habit of energy saving. If your family will be out of the house most of the day, a programable smart thermostat is a must. Adults can manage the thermostat from their smart phone, even if they are not home and receive an alert if someone at home is tampering with the thermostat and should not be! Encourage children to put on a sweater and socks if they are cold, rather than allowing them to reach for the thermostat.

Encourage and educate your kids on how to save energy.

Start by always ensuring they turn off the lights in their room and washroom when they leave. Teach them how to open the blinds instead of always switching on a light in the morning. NASA kids has great printable light switch covers available here: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/light-switch-plates/. These tools are friendly and fun reminders to get your kids into healthy energy saving habits from a young age.

Make sure your children know how to turn off their video game consoles and unplug cell phone chargers when not in use. If you engrain simple energy saving practices into the spongy minds of your children now, they will continue these practices into adulthood and be better members of society for it.

Water savings are important too.

Not every piece of clothing is going to be dirty at the end of each day. Jeans and sweaters can often be worn several times before they need to be thrown into the laundry basket.
Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth is an excellent way of teaching kids about saving water. Having a jug or Brita of water in the fridge is also handy; it prevents every family member from running the tap longer than needed when filling up a cup. It also makes refilling your reusable water bottle easier. Take a look at the 18 cup Brita UltraMax Water Filter Dispenser. It fits right on the shelf on your fridge, has an easy to use pouring mechanism and does not need to be filled as often.

Take a shower instead.

Children as young as 4 can be directed to take showers instead of long baths. A shower will certainly reduce water usage. Baths can use up to 95 litres of water. Get some fun shower toys and let your child know how much money and water he or she is saving by having a shower like an adult instead of a bath. Make bath time a once-a-week special event and have your child take short showers throughout the week.

Show them your energy and water bills.

Teaching children about responsibility from a young age will prepare them for a successful life ahead. Not everything is taught in school. Money management and how to pay bills is not a course many schools teach. Therefore, showing your children how a water or electricity bill is broken down can be helpful. Whether it is an e-bill or a paper bill, go through each line item and discuss what it means. If you require an explanation of your Priority Submetering bill, please visit our interactive bill explanation page here: https://prioritymeter.com/ca/resources/questions-about-your-bill/

Eco-Friendly, environment and energy savings are common words seen across international news headlines. You can make little changes today and create better habits that will have a positive impact on planet earth and your bank account.