--- title: How to School Your Kids on Energy Conservation description: Practice energy conservation with kids using our talking points and tips. Make energy conservation a game and lead by example. image: https://blog.fpuc.com/hubfs/K-S47-Chim-3370.png --- [![Florida Public Utilites](https://blog.fpuc.com/hs-fs/file-1241850734-jpg/images/corpNav_FPUIcon.jpg "Florida Public Utilites")](http://www.fpuc.com/) - [Natural Gas](http://www.fpuc.com/naturalgas) - [Electricity](http://www.fpuc.com/electric) - [Propane](http://www.fpuc.com/propane) - [About FPU](http://www.fpuc.com/about/) - [News & Events](http://www.fpuc.com/news-events/) - [Pay / Manage Account](http://www.fpuc.com/payments/payment-methods-info/) - [Contact Us](http://www.fpuc.com/customer-service/contact-us/) [![chpk_bird.png](https://blog.fpuc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/chpk_bird.png?width=26&height=21&name=chpk_bird.png "Florida Public Utilites")](http://www.fpuc.com/) [![FPU Blog](https://blog.fpuc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Header-1.png?width=950&name=Blog_Header-1.png "FPU Blog")](https://blog.fpuc.com) # FPU Blog ## [How to School Your Kids on Energy Conservation](https://blog.fpuc.com/how-to-school-your-kids-on-energy-conservation) Posted by [Scott Ranck](https://blog.fpuc.com/author/scott-ranck) on Sep 11, 2019 8:12:50 AM ![](https://blog.fpuc.com/hs-fs/hub/396210/file-1524590835.jpg?width=35&name=file-1524590835.jpg) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) It is the time of year for crisp spiral notebooks and meeting your teacher. Whether you and your kids dread the return to early alarm clocks and after-school pickups, back-to-school season signals opportunity to learn new things. Since minds will soon be in “learning mode” why not make this the season to talk to your kids about energy conservation? ![K-S47-Chim-3370](https://blog.fpuc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/K-S47-Chim-3370.png?width=1200&name=K-S47-Chim-3370.png) When kids play a key role in your efforts to conserve energy and cut down on household bills, not only do they feel a sense of adult responsibility in improving their homes -- and perhaps school and communities -- they become healthier citizens too. What can kids do to help you conserve energy? And how to talk to them about it without nagging? Here are some tips: ### **What can kids do?** - Turn off the lights every time they leave a room - Turn off household appliances and gadgets when not in use - Use desktop lamps rather than overhead lights - Find natural ways to heat and cool your home: shutter blinds and drapes when it’s too hot, let in sunlight in when it’s chilly, crack open the windows for a gentle breeze in moderate temperatures - Get outside! Encourage outdoor activities during down time. Energy conservation can be yet another motivator to limit that dreaded screen time - Reuse, recycle, consider composting ### **How to Talk to Your Kids About Saving Energy** - **Tell them the ‘why’:** Remind your kids *why* it’s important to turn off the lights and power down their devices. Show your kids the electric and gas bills each month, which often include a breakdown of usage. - **Make it fun.** Consider making a game out of energy conservation: a scavenger hunt to find all household appliances and gadgets that should be powered down, or a competition between parents and kids where points are awarded for “energy conserving” measures. If you use a chore chart or “reward” system for other good behaviors, consider making energy conservation a part of it. - **Set an example.** Are doing as you say, not as you do when it comes to powering down appliances? Make sure you’re modeling good energy saving behavior in your home. - Recognize and Reward. Recognize and reinforce it when your kids begin opting for a book instead of screen time, or when they are extra mindful to power down their computer and turn out the lights. #### We are here to help: For more tips on energy conservation for both [**natural gas**](https://fpuc.com/naturalgas/energy-saving-tools/quick-tips-to-save-energy/) and [**electric**](https://fpuc.com/electric/faq/) in your home, **[rebate](https://fpuc.com/electric/conservation-rebates/)** [**programs**](https://fpuc.com/naturalgas/rebates-conservation/rebates/)  and other energy information, [**FPU**](https://fpuc.com/) has you covered.   Topics: [Energy Conservation](https://blog.fpuc.com/topic/energy-conservation), [Natural Gas](https://blog.fpuc.com/topic/natural-gas), [conservation](https://blog.fpuc.com/topic/conservation) ### Comment on This Post Submit your comment – plus, see what other people are saying. ![FPU Energy Conservation Newsletter](https://blog.fpuc.com/hubfs/Banner-EnergyConservation.png) #### Don't Miss Any Updates From FPU Sign up now for the latest energy conservation articles ### Recent Posts ### Connect with FPU on: Subsidiary of [![chpkLogoSm-1.png](https://blog.fpuc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/chpkLogoSm-1.png?width=157&height=29&name=chpkLogoSm-1.png "chpkLogoSm-1.png")](http://www.fpuc.com/)