Teaching Children About the Benefits of Conserving Energy

Fans of David Attenborough will be aware that climate change is a big topic in the global conversation.

Children are often passionate about animals and the natural world. But finding ways to talk to them about the importance of sustainable living can be hard to do.

Tips for teaching children about energy conservation

We think the solution is to focus on ways conservation can be linked to our everyday lives. Allow children to learn how their actions can make a difference to the environment. They can also learn how our actions can help reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

With that in mind, we’ve come up with some ideas to inspire kids to care about energy conservation.

Keep your family informed

The first step is to find ways to introduce the topic. Thanks to the internet, there are lots of free resources to help. Check out NASA’s Climate Kids education platform or BBC Bitesize energy conservation modules.

Of course, getting out into nature can help. This could be through taking a walk or visiting animals at a farm or wildlife centre.

Watching nature films such as Planet Earth can also help start a conversation about the environment.

Talk about how you can do your bit to conserve resources. Reducing the energy you use in your home is a great place to start.

Have fun!

The best way to learn is by having fun. There are lots of ways to incorporate energy-efficiency into a game.

If you have an energy monitor, you can compete to guess how much electricity different devices in your home use. This helps children to appreciate the cost of using electricity.

You can also get kids to do a fun Eco-Friendly Quiz. This can help them to understand the science behind the energy we use in our homes.

Set goals for your home

Once children understand the importance of reducing energy usage, they are often keen to take action themselves.

Ask kids to switch off the lights when they leave the room, or unplug their electronic devices when not in use. You can then cultivate good habits that will last into adulthood.

To make sure the message sticks, you could create a family plan for your home. Each member of the family could be assigned tasks to complete to reduce your household energy consumption.

Adults could commit to switching to a green energy supplier or downloading an energy-saving app. If you're feeling ambitious, you could even look into installing solar panels to your home.

Children’s tasks might be to close the curtains and doors to better insulate your home. Or, to ensure electronic devices aren't left on standby or sleep mode when not in use. If you assign points every day for successful tasks completed, kids will feel motivated to take action.

Get more energy saving tips from the experts at Love Energy Savings

At Love Energy Savings, we think it’s vital for people to be well-informed about their energy usage and its effect on both your pocket and the environment.

For more top tips on making the most of your energy usage, take a look at our energy guides and advice.

If you’d like to switch to a green energy supplier, simply complete our free online energy comparison tool.

With Love Energy Savings, you can access the best green energy tariffs on the market in no time.

Related Articles