Wesson Energy Kids' Corner
Jump up and down. Spin in a circle. Stick out your tongue.
OK, you might look silly ... but the point is, you're using energy. You get your energy from food - whether it's pizza or chocolate chip cookies or even spinach (and don't say "Ewwww" - it's good for you!).
Energy makes your body run - and energy helps make your house run, too. No, you can't feed your house pizza, but your house does use energy to make things work. Your boiler or furnace uses
oil to make the rooms warm. Your air conditioner and your computer use
electricity. You may have a fireplace that's heated with
propane. You or your neighbor may even have
solar panels on your roof, which use energy from the sun.
Energy is important - and we don't want to waste it. And there's so much you can do in your own house to save energy - from turning off the lights when you leave a room ... to taking a shower instead of a bath (it uses less hot water) ... to asking the grownups in your life to purchase ENERGY STAR
® appliances.
Saving energy means saving lots of pollution - which keeps the earth beautiful. It also means saving lots of money. And when you save money, there's more of it to spend on stuff you like to do.
The cool thing is,
you can start right now! Click on the rooms of the house below. In each room, you'll find easy ways for you and your folks to save energy and money.
Here are some special energy saving tips just for you:
- Set your home's thermostat a few degrees lower. For each one-degree change, your family can save up to 5 percent on your home's heating and cooling costs!
- Turn off lights and all electronics (like computers, televisions, stereos, and video-games) when you leave a room.
- Use the microwave instead of the oven for cooking your meals.
- Use machines like washers, dryers, and dishwashers after 8 p.m.
- Open your blinds or curtains on sunny winter days to let the sun shine into your home.
- Save hot water by taking short showers instead of baths.
- Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
- Occasionally hold a ribbon up to the edges of your home's windows. If air is leaking into, or out of, the house, the ribbon will move. If you find a leak, let someone in your family know so they can fix it.
