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Electricity is our most important source of energy. Imagine what your
life would be like if you didn’t have electricity in your home or school.
Forget about turning the lights on in your room or playing your favourite
video game or watching that must-see TV show. And that’s just the start.
We depen d on electricity everyd
ay for cooking our foo d, heatin
g an d
cooling our homes, powering our
electronic gadgets an d so much
more.
In fact when you conser ve electr
icity, your parents will save mo
ney,
you’ll be helping the environment
an d help ensure there’s enough
electricity for everyone in the
province. You make a difference!
ry
y and use it wisely each and eve
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tons of information about electricit
a Get plugged in!
cool website kids.saveon en ergy.c
*Information in this resource can be used by students to achieve expectations from the
Grade 6 Understanding Matter and Energy strand, “Electricity and Electrical Devices” topic
in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Science and Technology (Revised, 2007).
What Is Electricity? Electricity is a type of energy that was discovered over 100 years ago.
One of the most common ways to make electricity is by converting other energy sources,
such as coal, natural gas, and oil or solar, wind and falling water. You may not even realize
that electricity is a huge part of your everyday life. For starters, it keeps your home and
school warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Without it, you would never be able to
watch your favourite TV show or listen to your MP3 player. After all, you need electricity.
Imagine a world where you couldn’t turn on a light, a computer, or even use the phone!
Obviously, electricity is important to us. That’s why it’s time to rethink our relationship with
this valuable resource and
figure out how we can do
our part to use it wisely.
Getting Plugged In
It’s easy to find – just flip on a switch or plug
something in. But how does electricity make its
way to your home or school? Today electricity is
generated in different ways, such as wind and solar
power. After its been generated, electricity is sent out
along power lines, which can carry it over long distances. These
transmission lines are often referred to as high voltage lines. Higher voltage allows
electricity to travel long distances more efficiently. The electricity eventually reaches
your neighbourhood when the voltage is reduced. And from there it travels through
distribution lines to your home or school. Now you’re plugged-in!
The IESO is the copyright owner of this material. The IESO makes this material available to educators in the Province of Ontario free of charge and
grants them permission to use, exhibit, reproduce and distribute it, in whole or in part, solely for classroom and educational purposes. Authorized
users of this material shall not modify this material, nor in any way commercially exploit it nor require any payment or consideration for its use.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
kids.saveonenergy.ca
1
The Ins and Outs of Making Electricity
Renewable Sources
The Ins and Outs
of Making Electricity
Electricity is made
from many different
resources, including
non-renewable and
renewable sources.
n
Generating Statio
Pickering Nuclear io Power Generation)
tar
On
of
sy
(Courte
Non-renewable sources include uranium and fossil fuels, like
coal and natural gas. When they’re used to generate power,
these sources produce waste, and will eventually run out.
On the other hand, renewable sources can be used over
and over again to produce energy without creating waste.
That makes these resources environmentally friendly. Some
examples of renewable sources include solar and wind power.
Remember, they only work when the wind blows or when
the sun shines.
Non-Renewable Sources
Let’s begin with non-renewable sources. These resources
are used to produce heat in order to convert water into
steam. The steam turns an engine called a turbine. And as
the turbine spins, electricity is generated.
Nuclear Power Some power plants have machines
called nuclear reactors where the heat is produced. Within
these reactors are atoms of a radioactive metal called uranium. Heat is created
when these atoms are split apart. This heat boils water,
creating steam that turns turbines to generate electricity.
Coal This fossil fuel is burned in large boilers that
are found in power plants. The burning coal heats water
and this produces steam which spins a turbine engine.
Natural Gas There are generally two ways natural
gas is used to create electricity. One way involves
burning it to heat water, which produces steam that
turns a turbine. It may also be burned directly in
a turbine as a way of creating gases that will
spin turbine blades.
2
kids.saveonenergy.ca
Now let’s look at the ways that renewable power resources
are used to create electricity. Remember, these resources
are considered clean because they can be used over and
over again without any negative effects on the environment. Solar Power Solar power is energy that is created
directly from the light or heat of the sun. One method
uses special solar panels to capture the sun’s light and convert it directly into
electricity. The other uses the sun’s heat to produce the steam
that will spin turbines and generate electricity.
Wind Power Wind is used to spin turbines, modern windmills,
which generate the power. There’s one drawback with using
wind. Since it comes and goes, we can’t always rely on it to
produce electricity when we want it.
Water Power (Hydro Power)
To generate electricity with this
renewable source, water from a river or dam is sent through
a turbine. This moving water causes the turbine’s blades to
spin, which generates power.
Geothermal Power It sounds
complicated but geothermal power
basically means using the heat from below the Earth’s surface.
To use this renewable source, underground water is converted
into steam that will spin turbines and generate power.
Biomass Biomass is a renewable source of energy
that uses organic materials to produce heat. To do this,
wood by-products, plants, crops and animal waste are
used instead of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.
Burning this organic waste creates the heat and
steam that spins electricity-making turbines. For example
cow manure is a source of biomass energy because
animal waste gives off methane gas.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
3
Electricity Through the Yearscontinued
4. Georg Ohm (1787-1854)
German physicist and teacher Georg
Ohm researched the relationship
between voltage, current and
resistance. In 1827, he proved that
the amount of electrical current
that can flow through a substance
depends on its starsincee to
electrical flow. This is known as
Ohm’s Law.
Electricity Through the Years Go back in time and meet a few
of the people who made important discoveries in the history of
electricity. While you’re reading, find the jumbled word in each
paragraph and see if you can unscramble it.
1. James Watt (1736-1819)
James Watt was a Scottish inventor who made improvements to
the steam engine during the late 1700s. Soon, factories and mining
companies began to use Watt’s new-and-improved steam engine for
their machinery. This helped jumpstart the Industrial Revolution, a
period in the early 1800s that saw many new machines invented
and an increase in the number of
factories. After his death, Watt’s
name was used to describe the
electrical unit of wrepo.
2. Alessandro Volta (1745-1827)
Using zinc, copper and cardboard, this Italian professor
invented the first treabty. Volta’s treabty produced a
reliable, steady current of electricity. The unit of voltage
is now named after Volta.
3. André-Marie Ampère (1775-1836)
André-Marie Ampère, a French
physicist and science teacher,
played a big role in discovering
electromagnetism. He also helped
describe a way to measure the
flow of electricity. The ampere,
which is the unit for measuring
electric rrncetu, was named in
honour of him.
4
kids.saveonenergy.ca
5. Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
Michael Faraday, a British physicist and
chemist, was the first person to discover
that moving a gtneam near a coil of
copper wire produced an electric current
in the wire.
6. Henry Woodward
(exact birth and death unknown)
Henry Woodward, a Canadian medical
student, played a major role in developing the electric light bulb. In 1874, Woodward
and a colleague named Mathew Evans placed a thin metal rod inside a glass bulb. They
forced the air out of the bulb and replaced it with a gas called nitrogen. The rod
wgelod when an electric current passed through it, creating the first electric lamp.
Unfortunately, Woodward
and Evans couldn’t afford to
develop their idea further.
So in 1889, they sold their
patent to Thomas Edison.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
5
Electricity Through the Yearscontinued
7. Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
American inventor Thomas Edison purchased Henry Woodward’s
patent and began to work on improving the idea. He attached
wires to a thin strand of paper, or filament, inside a glass globe.
The filament began to glow, which generated some light. This
became the first incandescent ghilt ubbl. A thin, iron wire
later replaced the paper filament.
8. Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)
A Serbian inventor named Nikola
Tesla invented the first electric
ootmr by reversing the flow of electricity on Thomas Edison’s
generator. In 1885, he sold his patent rights to an American
businessman who was the head of the Westinghouse Electric
Company. In 1893, the company used Tesla’s ideas to light the
Chicago World’s Fair with a quarter of a million lights.
9. Sir Adam Beck (1857-1925)
In the early 1900s, manufacturer and politician Sir Adam Beck
pointed out that private power companies were charging customers
too much for electricity. He believed that all citizens had
the right to cheap electric light and power. So he worked
to get the Ontario government to create the Hydro-Electric
Power Commission in 1910. He headed up this
commission, which provided inexpensive electricity
to many Ontario towns and cities. To do this,
the commission built huge nragngieet stations
and set up transmission lines that carried power
from Niagara Falls to places across Ontario.
Because of his efforts, he earned the nickname
The Hydro Knight.
Answers:
1. power, 2. battery, 3. current, 4. resistance, 5. magnet,
6. glowed, 7. light bulb, 8. motor, 9. generating
6
kids.saveonenergy.ca
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kids.saveonenergy.ca
7
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So how long would you have to put
the pedal to the metal on a bike power
generator to power up something like
your favourite video game or the TV?
Have a look at these head-spinning stats!
Hold on to your remote!
To watch 1 hour of TV,
you’d have to ride a bike
power generator for 1 hour
and two minutes.
Want to
beat that high
score on your
newest video game?
You’ll have to sweat it
out on the bike power
generator for 1 hour
and 54 minutes.
8
kids.saveonenergy.ca
To log on to your
computer for 1 hour,
you’d need to
pedal a bike
power generator
for 1 hour and
20 minutes.
For a 10-minute shower,
you’d have to cycle on
a bike power generator for
4 hours and 12 minutes.
Nuke it!
To cook with
the microwave
for 5 minutes,
you’d have
to get on the
bike power
generator for
half an hour.
To do one load
of laundry –
that’s 30 minutes
in the washer
and 30 minutes
in the dryer –
you’d have to
huff and puff on
the bike power generator
for 3 hours and
20 minutes!
Need to style
your hair before
you head out the
door? For five
minutes of drying
time with your
blow dryer,
you’d have to
cycle on the
bike power
generator for 40
minutes!
Imagine That!
To power an
average Ontario
home for one year,
you would need 29
people to ride a bike power
generator non-stop for an
entire year.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
9
Power Up!:
Power Up!:
y
f Sports:
The Power o
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Nothing but net!
Shooting hoops for
1 hour would give
you 17 minutes on
a video game
system.
Taking your bike out for
an hour-long ride would
create enough energy
to run your
computer for
44 minutes.
Cannonball!
An hour of
swimming would
give you 33
minutes on the
computer.
Batter up! Playing baseball
for 1 hour would generate
enough electricity to watch
TV for 36 minutes.
One hour at the
half-pipe on your
skateboard would
mean 19 minutes
of video game fun.
10
kids.saveonenergy.ca
If you bend it like Beckham
in a one-hour soccer match,
you’ll generate enough power
to watch TV for
59 minutes.
If you jumped
rope for 1 hour,
you’d steal
1 hour and
11 minutes of
TV time!
Strapping on those in-line
skates for one hour
would power up your
video game system for
27 minutes.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
11
Maddie, Emily, Jack, Sanjay, and Evan were all hanging out in the
computer room at school. But the last one to leave the room didn’t turn
the light off on the way out. Use
these clues to figure out which
kid forgot to flip the switch.
Clues:
1. Jack left before Emily.
2. Evan left after Emily and
before Maddie.
3. Sanjay was the fourth
person to leave the room.
Answer: This is the order that the kids left the room:
Jack, Emily, Evan, Sanjay, and Maddie. So Maddie
was the one who forgot to turn off the light.
12
kids.saveonenergy.ca
Crack the Code There’s a phrase you should keep in mind when
it comes to electricity. But to find out what it is, you’ll have to
do a bit of detective work! The saying is written in code below.
We’ve used a number to represent each letter of the alphabet,
so 1=A and 26=Z. Can you crack this electrifying code?
5 22 5 18 25
11 9 12 15 23 1 20 20
3 15 21 14 20 19
Answer: Every Kilowatt Counts!
A kilowatt is a unit that’s used to measure power.
When you go about your day, consider the amount
of kilowatts you’re using. They can really add up…
so use them wisely!
One of the easiest ways to conserve electricity is to turn the light off
when you leave a room. Too bad one of these kids forgot that bright idea.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
13
What’s Your Electric Personality?
continued
2 When I’ve got the munchies, I:
a. decide what I want before opening the fridge
b. open the fridge, have a quick look, and grab
something
c. stand with the fridge door wide open and slowly
scan the shelves for the perfect snack
3
My computer stays plugged in:
a. only when I’m using it
b. only during the daytime
c. morning, noon, and night
4 My family uses compact fluorescent light bulbs
and other electricity-efficient products:
a. all the time
b. some of the time
c. I don’t know. That’s for my parents to worry about.
5
6
14
kids.saveonenergy.ca
While I’m brushing my teeth, I:
a. turn the water off
b. forget to turn the water off
c. leave the water on and admire myself in the mirror
I feel guilty when I waste electricity:
a. most of the time
b. every once in a while
c. never – I’m just a kid
9
I use my printer:
a. only when I really need something printed out
b. almost every day
c. whenever I feel like it
10If I’m feeling cold in my house, I:
a. put on a sweater
b. turn the thermostat up a few degrees
c. crank up the heat
Answers:
What’s Your Score: To find your electricity personality, give yourself:
3 points for every (a) answer, 2 points for every (b) answer, 1 point for every (c) answer
0-10 points: You’re a
Live for Today kind of kid.
You have lots of things going
on, so you don’t think too much
about saving electricity. In fact
you use electricity like it’s going
out of style. You often keep the
fridge door open, leave your
MP3 charger plugged in all day and
don’t bother to turn the lights out. But
if you make a few changes, you’ll be on
your way to making a difference!
When I leave a room, I turn the light off:
a. every time
b. only when I remember
c. never
11-20 points: You’re a Yo-Yo Saver
kind of kid! You know it’s important
to conserve electricity. It’s not always
the first thing on your mind, but you
keep trying to make good
choices. For example, you
might turn off the
lights but can’t be
bothered to shut
down your
computer.
1
8 If I noticed the bathroom faucet
was leaky, I’d probably:
a. tell my parents
b. ignore it
c. count the drips
If you scored:
21-30 points: You’re a
Green Hero kind of kid!
Saving electricity is at
the top of your list! You
always do your best to save
electricity, whether that
means turning off the
lights or using a power
bar with timer. In fact, you
even remind your family and friends
to do the same!
What’s Your Electric Personality? Using electricity wisely is everyone’s
responsibility. So how do you measure up when it comes to the amount of
energy you use? To get the lowdown on your electric personality, take this
quiz. Be sure to keep track of your answers on a piece of paper as you go.
7 If the air conditioning or heat is on in my
house, I close the door on my way outside:
a. always
b. most of the time
c. I usually forget
kids.saveonenergy.ca
15
il crayons
c
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e
p
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u
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b
Gra
illustration into
is
h
t
m
r
o
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n
ra
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en t
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your
16
kids.saveonenergy.ca
www.everykilowattcounts.com/kids
17
Sort the Squares: Hidden in each of these blocks is a word that has
something to do with electricity. To find the word, you must move
from letter to letter by going either up, down, across, or diagonally.
You can return to a letter more than once. But you may not need
to use every letter in each block.
Z OW
L IA
KTT
D AR
F GE
Y KN
OT A
VLG
C EM
GIP
H LU
ATB
WRQ
E ON
P HA
D PT
R NC
E RU
R SN
V EO
T CA
D PS
T EG
A RN
WY R
K IT
L EC
Hint:
The words
include:
power,
current,
kilowatt,
conserve,
voltage,
electricity,
generate,
light bulb,
and energy
Spot The Words Print out this word search. Then look up, down,
across, and diagonally in the puzzle for these energy-related words.
STHGI L IXSEST IPWI JE
LVWH I X E FWV S F V HQ T P O
YOMI RRGYYAPAHANKVE
BTOTAWDXGS I SSNWBGV
FI YCTQ I PRORKWT I HYR
FANJ SDROEWDY I OZVSE
CMEMY I FWN L L P TMV P R S
CABYGGAEEFJQCLZEEN
GPAXRCYRHCRXHOQNWO
GJ UYEWMBCZWHHAU I OC
OU Z T NG C AWA S T E DG L H R
CCLSEGDRSWMMTSESSW
EQDPYT ICI RTCELEEQI
EKBLUBTHGI LEOFYHUZ
TATSOMREHTPMJXUT I B
UN P L UG V E E F K GMG L O F I
NJ Z I UXKYTAEHBVKLRU
LQD L E A K YWBOK UH C C S O
CFL
lightbulb
conserve
phantom loads
clothesline
cool
drips
electricity
energy
ENERGY STAR
fan
fridge
heat
leaky
lights
plug
power bar
save
shower
switch
thermostat
unplug
waste
Answers:
1. kilowatt, 2. light bulb, 3. conserve,
4. energy, 5. power, 6. generate,
7. voltage, 8. current, 9. electricity
18
kids.saveonenergy.ca
kids.saveonenergy.ca
19
Get Plugged In
Get Plugged In
Jumpstart your brain and see if you can
figure out which of these facts about electricity
are true and which are false.
You should try and convince your
parents to use light emitting diode
bulbs (LEDs) rather than
regular incandescent bulbs.
You should always turn the water
off while brushing your teeth.
It’s more important to turn off
electronics like TVs and computers
than the lights in your bedroom.
T F
T F
T F
When it comes to heating up
food, a microwave or toaster oven uses less energy than an oven.
T F
A fan uses as much electricity as an air conditioner.
If you leave your computer plugged into the wall after you
turn it off, it still uses up energy.
The best time of day to use appliances like washers, dryers,
and dishwashers is in the middle of the day.
T F
Keeping a door or window open while the air conditioning is
on isn’t a big deal.
T F
T F
On sunny winter days, keep your drapes and blinds closed
to save energy.
T F
If a building has a revolving door, you should use it whenever
you’re heading inside or out.
On sunny summer days, keep your drapes and blinds closed
to save energy.
20
T F
T F
kids.saveonenergy.ca
T F
Answers:
1. True. LEDs use 75% less electricity than standard incandescent bulbs, and they last
up to thirty times longer. Make the switch!
2. True. Keeping the water running while you brush your teeth can use up to 10 litres
of water!
3. False. Leaving on any of these items wastes electricity. Do your part and turn off
your lights and electronics when you’re finished using them.
4. True.
5. False. A fan uses about one-tenth the electricity that an air conditioner uses.
That’s why it’s a good idea to use a fan instead of the AC whenever possible.
6. True. Your computer is using up small amounts of electricity even when it’s turned
off. This is called “phantom power.” Lots of other household items, like TVs, cell
phones chargers, and stereos, slowly drain electricity all day, every day – whether
they’re turned on or not. To fight the phantoms, use a power bar with a timer. It’ll
shut off your devices at the end of the day, and help you be a ghost buster!
7. False. These appliances should be used later in the evening. That way, they’re not
being used during peak electricity times.
8. True. Believe it or not, about eight times as much
warm air escapes when a swing door is opened
when compared to a revolving door. When you help
cut down on the warm air that’s leaving a building,
it means the heat doesn’t have to be turned up
higher. And that saves energy!
9. False. All that cool air is heading outside and that’s
just a plain old waste of energy!
10. True. This will keep the heat out, so your air
conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard.
11. False. If you keep them open, the sun
will warm your rooms. Plus, it’ll bring in
natural light, so you don’t need to turn
on a light. Here’s an added tip: if you
close the drapes and blinds at night,
it’ll help keep the heat in.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
21
Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to see if you can improve
on your Electric Personality score! We’ve come up with a checklist
that’ll help you and your family conserve electricity around your home.
Print it out and hang it on your fridge or bulletin board. Every time
you complete a task on the list, check off “Mission Accomplished” in the
column beside it. The more tasks you complete, the more electricity
you’ll save. Are you up for the mission?
Flip that switch!
Whenever you leave a
room, don’t forget to turn off
the light. And that goes for
TVs, computers, and game
consoles, too!
Before you turn on a light in
a room, stop and think. Do
you really need it? Or is there
enough natural daylight already?
Here’s a bright idea. Have your parents replace
incandescent (standard) light bulbs with light
emitting diode bulbs (LEDs). They use up to 75% less
electricity and last up to 30 times longer than standard bulbs.
22
kids.saveonenergy.ca
Give the dryer a break.
Convince your parents to use a
clothesline instead of a dryer. You’ll
help cut down on the amount of
electricity they use.
When it’s time to grab a bite to eat,
have your folks reheat food in a
toaster or microwave oven. It’ll save more
electricity than if they used the oven.
Looking for a snack? Don’t just leave
the fridge door open while you search
high and low for something to eat. That’s
a surefire way to waste electricity. Decide
what you want to munch on before you
even open that fridge door.
Instead of turning up the air conditioning on a warm day,
use a fan to cool things off. It requires a lot less electricity
than an air conditioner. Now that’s cool!
Dirty dishes and laundry can wait. You should only run a dishwasher,
washer or dryer when it’s full. And it’s best to turn it on later in the
evening. That way, it’s not being used during peak electricity periods.
On sunny summer days, close the drapes and blinds to keep the
sun’s warm rays out. It’s a natural way of keeping the house cool.
In the winter, open drapes and blinds to let the sun’s warming rays in.
At night, close them to keep the heat in.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
23
Ghost bust phantom power. (Phantom power is electricity consumed
by electronic devices even when turned off.) Plug electronics like
TVs, computers, game consoles, and chargers (MP3 players, cell phones,
cameras etc.) into a power bar. With one easy flip of a switch you’ve
got the power to bust those ghosts. Some even shut-off automatically.
Don’t get print-happy. To conserve electricity and paper, only print
things when you really need to.
To save hot water, give up on baths. (Don’t panic…we’re not saying
to ditch cleanliness completely!) Take a quick shower instead. You’ll
use about half as much hot water than if you took a bath.
Stop those drips! Have your parents fix any leaky faucets around
the house. A constant drip can waste 182 litre-sized bottles of
water a week!
24
25 Electricity-Saving Tips
Calling all kids! We’ve got you covered with the
ultimate ways to save electricity and the environment –
all while helping your parents save money!
Do your part by following these smart ideas:
2
Hold off on the air conditioner
(AC) Try using a fan to cool things
off. It uses a lot less electricity.
How refreshing!
5
kids.saveonenergy.ca
1
Bonus
Don’t miss :
our extra
energy-sm
art tips
that you
can share
with your
parents.
Lights out! Turn off the lights
when you leave a room – even if
you’ll be back in a few minutes.
4
Keep your cool! If
you can’t beat the
heat and need to
switch on the AC,
be sure to keep
doors and windows
closed while it’s on.
3
Light up your life – or at least
your room! – by using natural
daylight whenever possible. It’s a
free way to light up your space!
Give your rubber ducky the slip
and take a quick shower instead
of a bath. A five-minute shower
with an energy-efficient showerhead will use about half as much
hot water as a bath. Splash!
kids.saveonenergy.ca
25
6
25 Electricity-Saving Tips
Be a ghost buster! Phantom power or “standby power”
is electricity that’s consumed by electronic devices even
when they’re turned off. So plug your gadgets – like
TVs, computers, game consoles and chargers (MP3 players,
cell phones, cameras etc.) into a power bar with a timer.
Set it to shut them off at the end of the day. Some even
shut-off automatically. So long, phantoms!
Stop and think before
you move on to the next
Got the munchies?
electronic gadget. Flip
Think about what
the switch on the power
you want before you
bar to turn off TVs,
open the fridge
stereos and video games
door. Keeping the
when you’re finished
fridge door wide
using them.
open as you search
for a snack is a big
waste of electricity.
When it’s time for a
snack, use a microwave or
toaster oven to prepare
your chow instead of using
the oven. You’ll reduce
your electricity use by
50% or more!
7
9
26
kids.saveonenergy.ca
11
Don’t put your printer into
overdrive. To save electricity
and the environment, you
should only print when you
really need to.
12
25 Electricity-Saving Tips
8
10
Keep those pearly
whites clean, but
don’t leave the water
on while you’re
brushing them. It
wastes water and
electricity.
Instead of turning up the heat
while you’re hanging around the
house in the winter, throw on
a sweater and save electricity.
13
On a bright winter
day, open your
curtains and blinds
and let the sun
shine in. It’ll warm
up your home. At
night, close them to
keep the heat in.
14
When the sun is shining
on a summer day, close
your curtains and blinds.
This will keep the sun’s
rays out to keep your
house cooler.
15
16
17
Time for homework?
Use a lamp with an
energy-efficient
light emitting diode
(LED) whenever possible. You’ll
conserve electricity
by focusing light right
where you need it,
instead of lighting
up the whole room.
When it’s your turn to do
the dishes, don’t rinse them
off before you put them in
the dishwasher. Just scrape
the leftover gunk off the
dishes. This will save water
and electricity.
Take the lead at school. Before you leave for the day or
weekend, check with your teacher and make sure that all
electronics are unplugged or that they’re plugged into a
power bar with a timer.
kids.saveonenergy.ca
27
25 Electricity-Saving Tips
18 Get on your parents’
! Use these
Dare to share
ts
d your paren
in
m
re
to
s
ip
t
n make a
that they ca
o.
difference, to
case if they’re still using
standard incandescent
light bulbs. Convince them to
switch to LEDs, which use 75% less electricity and last
up to 30 times longer. Talk about a bright idea!
19 Get on a roll! Help the environment and keep
fit by suggesting that your parents use public
transit, walk or bike to work. While you’re
at it, remind them to take the stairs at
work instead of the elevator. Each step
really does add up!
20Remind your parents to run the dishwasher, washing machine
and dryer later in the evening when electricity demand is less. Oh, and remind
them to only run them when there’s a full load.
21 Share this fresh idea with your parents: in the summer, use a clothesline instead
of a dryer. It will cut down on the amount of electricity your family uses.
22Drip, drip, drip… Don’t let those drips go down the drain.
Bug your parents to fix leaky faucets. That constant
dripping wastes lots of water.
23It all comes out in the wash! Let your parents know that
cold water does just as good a job at getting clothes clean as
hot water does. And, washing with cold water uses up to 85%
less electricity! If you’re using an electric water heater, that is.
24 Beat the heat! Have your mom or dad turn down the heat when no one is home and
during the night when everyone is sleeping. It’s a smart way to save electricity!
25Here’s something for you and your parents to think about. Laptops use
just 10% of the electricity that it
takes to run most desktop PCs. You
can save even more by buying an
ENERGY STAR® qualified model.
28
kids.saveonenergy.ca
For more electricity-saving tips,
add the saveonenergy.ca websit
e as
a favourite site on your home com
puter.
Now you’re really plugge d in.
Help your parents
use electricity wisely.
www.everykilowattcounts.com/kids
29
Click this way! There’s tons more info at:
kids.saveonenergy.ca
electricity-related word
an
If
!?
t?
ha
W
?
uit
rc
Biomass? Ci
ry.
out this helpful glossa
k
ec
ch
d,
pe
um
st
u
yo
has
Take a look at some of the most
min d-boggling
electricity facts around.
ctricity,
Head here for more sites about ele
tips, too.
conser vation, and energy-saving
Get the inside scoop on how an old fridge
gets recycled.
WNHYDRO.COM
WNHYDRO
June 2014
Videos and other fun stuff:
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