CONSERVING ENERGY

The summer season has arrived and the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is aware that parents, guardians and caregivers are eager to find economical ways to keep their children occupied during the summer vacation. In keeping with the energy conservation tips we have been issuing over the past two weeks, the Commission seeks to continue in that vein to help consumers quell the hot spots in the budget that could explode while the children are at home. Here are a few tips to keep your energy bill down, so that this summer will prove cool and fun for everyone.

The Refrigerator
This summer has been quite hot. Being at home and involved in many indoor and outdoor activities will see children making frequent trips to the refrigerator for cool drinks and snacks. Frequent trips to the refrigerator waste energy, as more energy is used for it to build up back the temperature lost while opened. The warm air also makes the refrigerator frost up quickly, thus using more energy to keep items cool. What therefore does a parent do, short of bolting the door?
Depending on the size of the group you are catering for, you could either freeze bottles of water or juice overnight, or mix drinks and fill up an igloo with lots of ice and place it on the counter in the kitchen or outside, where they can access it easily. Provide one with water as well. If it's a large group and you can afford it, fill a medium sized chest igloo with ice and place in it, an assortment of beverages. It keeps down the traffic to and from the fridge (and through the house), taking the pressure of the fridge and energy bill.

The Microwave & Stove
Parents and caregivers usually have to spend more on food during the summer months, buying snacks and other groceries to feed their children, relatives and friends who become frequent visitors during the period. You can reduce your grocery bill by making the snacks yourself and cooking in bulk, which saves in time and energy. Even though you may end up reheating food in the microwave and on the stovetop more often than usual, the net savings derived from this activity will be appreciated.
Now short of feeding your children cold food, or snacks for the entire holiday period, you could ensure that you use your microwave and stove wisely. Try to get children to eat at roughly the same time for foods such as water for tea or meals for multiple persons, it would be wise to heat the water on the stove, rather than multiple cups in the microwave. Heat meals in bulk in the microwave, rather than individual dishes. It saves both time and effort and keeps your fuel and electricity bills low.

Recreation
While at home, your children, visiting relatives and friends will seek to entertain themselves with whatever is available. The telephone, television, radio, computer, fan or air conditioning unit and pipes (for water games) will become very popular at this time. If you have the Internet and electronic games, these too will also be used for a longer span than during the school period, as kids will be up later into the night.
Now, we would not encourage you to lock your kids up in a box all summer. They have worked hard all year and deserve the break and to have some fun. Encourage them to play traditional board games such as lodo, draft, scrabble and monopoly. Discuss with your children the negative implications of using appliances and water wantonly, for example, your ability to purchase back to school supplies. Talk about turning off light switches, taps and appliances when they are not in use. Come up with a schedule together that will make conservation fun. Let them rotate being supervisors of each other. For example, they could do some reading in the morning hours, play their choice of electronic games for 2 hours or so, eat lunch together, do some other educational activity, then watch TV, listen to the radio or go on the Internet for an agreed time. Show them the benefits at the end of the month and reward them for sticking to the plan.
It is going to be a long, hot summer…but you can keep your cool…. if you are wise and conserve as you enjoy it.

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