As all exhausted parents know, kids have tons of energy to burn. My kindergartner is a dynamo from the time the sun comes up till well after sundown. Some days are a blur. She loves living the rock star kid life (and even got a keyboard to sing about it). She plays hard, but she’s also mommy’s little helper. This is especially true when it comes to energy saving.

Photo by Giligone

I’ve discovered at this age that helping around the house is fun and empowering for my daughter. My new year’s resolution is to help my family become rock star energy savers, and getting Leilani in on the energy saving act is exciting for her. Here are just a few of the ways I’m helping her become an energy saving superstar.

Your kids will love helping you find ways to conserve energy. Your little super sleuth is on the energy saving case!

Energy saving tips for kids

1. Lower the thermostat. You might be thinking, “Brrr!” But lowering the thermostat in winter, especially at night, can save a ton of energy. Pile on the blankets and build a fort. Have a fun fashion show with funky layered looks. Wrap up in a cozy blanket, sip hot chocolate and tell ghost stories. In the summer, raise the thermostat, peel off those layers, open windows for fresh breezes, and turn on ceiling and floor fans.

Great energy saving tip: Turn thermostat down to 68 degrees in winter and up to 78 in summer while you are at home.

2. Check for air leaks. Your kids will love doing this one. Do they feel a draft coming from underneath doors or around windows? There is an easy solution at the hardware store, and your kids can help you calk, install weather stripping or sealing gaskets to those pesky air leaks.

Weather stripping your home will go a long way toward saving energy! Let your kids play detective and find those air leaks.

3. Get outside! Yes it’s winter, but it’s fun! Snow is on the ground, and we are having some killer snowball fights. Spending more time outside is our way of consuming less energy indoors.

4. Have dinner or an old-fashioned game night by candlelight. We love to dim the lights and have a family fondue. This is quickly becoming a fun family tradition for us every weekend.

5. Turn of the TV! Now as Reel Mama, I’m a big proponent of quality screen time for kids, things like family movie nights. But it’s so easy for kids to leave the TV on even after they’re on to the next big thing in their day. Shutting it down after screen time is over saves a lot of energy, and the same goes for turning off lights when the room is empty.

6. Unplug! Did you know that appliances use energy even when their turned off, if they are plugged in?  Teaching kids to pull the plug on that boom box, guitar amp, or keyboard when not in use can help save extra energy. They can even unplug the TV (gasp)!

An energy saving plan for rock star parents

And here’s something for the grownups to think about. Did you know that in Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut and Pennsylvania you can select your own energy provider? Direct Energy has special offers in MA the month of January. You can save up to 30%* over National Grid MA’s electricity rate, and up to 8%* over Eversource’s electricity rate. This combined with the above tips could mean some real savings, so you’ll have more in your pocket to spend on your little go-getter.

Direct Energy MA offers a fixed-rate energy plan, so your electricity rate won’t fluctuate throughout your contract term. An added plus is that you can earn rewards through Plenti. Direct Energy offers different savings depending on where you  live – plug in your zipcode here to learn about the offers available in your area!

*All savings refers to the current difference between Direct Energy‘s fixed rate offer and the Utility’s current Fixed Rate for Basic Service as of January 8, 2016, and does not include any other component of the electricity bill. Utility rates are subject to change and there may be no savings following the respective official utility rate change date.  Direct Energy‘s fixed rates include electricity supply charges only and excludes delivery/transmission charges, taxes, and all other utility-related charges. Offer is limited and valid for new residential customers only.