How To Save Energy and Money Even If Your Family Seems to Not Care

So, just go down to your circuit breaker and start flipping switches. That’ll get their attention!

…Kidding!

That’s probably the worst thing you can do if your family’s not showing interest in helping you save energy. If you start to force your will on them, they’ll more than likely resist.

Or, they might comply on the surface just to get you off their backs. But then when you’re not looking, they’ll go right back to their old habits.

And if you have teenagers, well they might just find more ways to increase your energy bill just to drive you nuts.

So, how do you handle it if your family meets the idea of energy savings with a complete lack of concern?

And since the coronavirus is going around and totally disrupting the economy, you may need the money more than ever!

Well, here’s what you could do:

1. Show How Much Money You Can Save (And What You Can Do with It)

Motivating unmotivated people takes hard work. But, you might be able to get your family’s attention if you show them about how much you can save.

People are most likely to act on something if it appears to benefit their own self-interest. So, if you come to an agreement with how that saved money will benefit everyone else, you have a good chance of spurring action.

Save your “It’s good for the earth” arguments for later. While noble and wise, doing things for the greater good typically doesn’t motivate people to act now.

You know your family best. And if you encourage their participation and take their points seriously, you have a good chance of winning their help in saving energy.

2. Make It As Easy as Possible

Don’t go down the route of taking 3-minute Navy showers. That’s miserable…who really wants to do that?

Stick with the easier energy savings tips. The ones that really pay off high with low effort.

For example, switch your ceiling fans so they turn counterclockwise and blow air down. The point is not to circulate cool air. Rather, ceiling fans blow air directly on you, which makes you feel cooler and lowers your need to adjust the thermostat.

Or, ask for help managing your blinds. Keep them down during the day so they block out the sun and your home stays cooler.

Ask your family members to dress differently so you can adjust the thermostat for more energy savings.

It’s all easy stuff anyone can do.

3. Explain Why It’s Important To You

Your family loves you. They want to see you happy. So, tell them how you feel about saving energy.

Maybe you’re scared about not being able to pay other bills. Maybe it makes you happy to know your family members respect and value your thoughts.

Whatever your feelings are that motivate you to want to save energy, share them with your family. And when they do what you want, make sure to tell them how loved and appreciated you feel.

What family member could argue with that?

Getting multiple people of different intellectual and emotional maturity on the same page doing the same thing isn’t easy.

But hopefully, these tips motivate everyone to help you save energy during the coronavirus pandemic.