Sometimes, it’s easy to forget to unplug an electronic device or flip off the light switch, especially for cyber school students who work at home from their computers. However, it’s important to reduce these habits as much as possible so as not to waste electricity or other energy resources.
When you encourage your student to practice sustainability and energy-conserving techniques, they learn the importance of protecting our planet and becoming a better global citizen overall. Learn some easy energy-saving projects for kids to practice around the house. These simple tips will come in handy for your child, and the rest of your family can also take advantage of them.
Seven Energy-Saving Tips for Students
Teaching students the importance of conserving energy is an excellent way for them to learn self-discipline and accountability. It also helps them develop gratitude and appreciation for the planet. Learn how to conserve energy at home with the seven simple tips below.
1. Turn off the Lights When You Leave the Room
One of the easiest ways to conserve energy is to turn the lights off when leaving a room. If your student habitually forgets to shut the light off before leaving a room, remind them that a simple flip of the light switch can help save energy and reduce carbon emissions and other harmful greenhouse gases.
2. Unplug Electronic Devices When Not in Use
In addition to turning off lights, it’s also important to unplug any electronic devices when they’re not in use. When computers, televisions, video games, and other devices are left on without being used, they can waste electricity.
Unplugging a device from an outlet discontinues electricity use completely. However, when you leave it plugged in, it can continue to draw energy when switched off, even if it’s just a small amount. Remind your student to unplug their school laptops once they’re fully charged and any other devices to help save power and conserve energy.
3. Invest in Power Strips
Plugging your appliances into a power strip with an on/off switch is another helpful way to save energy. The main advantage of power strips is that they contain multiple outlets, allowing many devices to be used simultaneously.
A power strip also makes it easy to turn off multiple devices at once, which is handy if your student frequently forgets to unplug or turn off electronics. If you plug your products into a power strip and flip it off when the items aren’t in use, they’re truly off. Encourage your child — and your other family members — to use a power strip for easy plugging, disconnecting, and energy conservation.
4. Take Advantage of Natural Lighting
Instead of artificial lighting from lamps and overhead lights, encourage your student to use natural sunlight from windows and skylights while they work during the day. Natural lighting reduces the need to turn on lights regularly, saving a considerable amount of electricity.
Electrical lighting can also produce a lot of heat, whereas natural lighting generates hardly any if properly controlled. Natural lighting is a key energy-saving method and a great way to reduce costs from electricity, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation.
Natural light can benefit your student’s mental health as well. Research shows that more exposure to sunlight can increase the brain’s serotonin production, boosting overall mood and wellbeing.
5. Avoid Baths and Take Shorter Showers
While it’s important to reduce power and electricity whenever possible, your student should also be mindful of their water usage. A bath can use up to 70 gallons of water, while a shower only uses 10 to 25.
To save water, challenge your student to take a shower in five minutes and limit baths as much as possible. Another good tip is to turn off the water while they shampoo and condition, then turn it back on when they’re ready to rinse. If they do take a bath, remind them to plug the drain right away. They should also adjust the temperature as the tub fills rather than letting excess water run down the drain.
Besides preserving water, taking shorter showers can also help save energy. Heating the water for a bath or shower requires power and energy, but a shower will use less than a bath. Remind your student that reducing their shower time even just by two or three minutes can save both water and the energy used to heat it.
6. Dry Your Clothes Naturally
Many prefer to machine dry their clothes as it’s faster and more convenient. However, hang-drying clothes is a better solution if you’re looking to save energy. The carbon emissions from dryers and the plastic fibers released by clothing during the process can negatively impact the environment.
Encourage your student to air dry their clothes on a rack or clothesline when the sun is out, especially if they don’t need to wear them right away. Besides its environmental benefits, hang-drying clothing outdoors on a clothesline can give garments a cleaner, fresher smell. It can also extend their quality and life span by reducing wear and tear from the dryer.
7. Turn the Thermostat Down
Turning the thermostat down in your home is another easy and helpful way to conserve energy. During winter, a lower interior temperature results in a slower heat loss. Therefore, the longer your home maintains a lower temperature, the more energy you’ll save. The space loses less energy than it would at a higher temperature.
By simply turning down your thermostat seven to 10 degrees from its typical setting, you can save up to 10% in heating costs a year. Rather than adjusting the thermostat to a higher temperature in winter, encourage your student and other family members to warm up with blankets and extra layers.
During summer, you can save energy by only using the air conditioner when you’re home.
Study Online With Commonwealth Charter Academy
After reading tips on how to save energy for kids to practice at home, we hope you’ve found some ways to make your household more sustainable. At Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) in Pennsylvania, we promote energy-conserving habits and other valuable skills and lessons in our range of courses for K-12 students.
If you’re looking for a cyber school that promotes flexible learning and tuition-free solutions, turn to CCA’s personalized education program. If you have any questions regarding our courses, approach to learning, or how your child can thrive in our online learning environment, please contact us at any time.
