Disclaimer: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Xcel Energy. The opinions and text are all mine.
Part of our job as parents is to teach our kids to live in the real world. Part of that real world is learning to responsibly use and pay for electricity. (Unless you are a prepper and live off grid) That’s why we’re teaching our kids not only about Excel’s Windersource program, but how electricity is part of their day to day lives..
We’ve always been an environmentally conscious family, so we’ve always taken the time to chat with the kids about how they can help to conserver our planet. Now that they are getting older, we really want to tie that lesson into how it can help them and their families when they are adults. The first thing we did was break down a little bit more about what is wind energy.
According to Excel,
Windsource® enables Xcel Energy’s electric customers to purchase renewable energy, generated above and beyond the renewable energy in our standard energy supply. The program offers customers a choice on how they want to use energy. Windsource customers pay a small premium in return for the environmental attributes of the renewable energy, giving them the right to make the claim that they are powered by renewable energy. Business customers can use their Windsource participation toward LEED certification points, as well as displaying an overall green sensibility and respect for the environment. Windsource currently operates in five of Xcel Energy’s eight states: Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Michigan.
We love sharing this info with the kids, because this is happening in our own backyard. As Excel customers, that means that some of our power comes from naturally sustainable sources like Windsource!
The kids really though that was awesome. We chatted about how it’s important to support renewable resources because they can be readily made or acquired with out depleting resources that take millions of years to produce. It’s better for our Earth, and it’s better for your community.
Want to teach your kids more about wind energy and how to conserve electricity, here’s some tips!
Live Without Electricity for a Day: Challenge your kids to live without electricity for one day. It helps build awareness about just how many things they us in their day are run by power.
Budget Game: Give the kids five “power bucks”. (aka Fake money you make up) For every time they use something with electricity, they have to pay you. The kids with the most bucks at the end of the week wins!
Light Switch Patrol: Have kids as the electricity police. Every time they flip off a light switch, they get a check mark. At the end of the day they can turn those in for prizes.
Electric Bill Breakdown: For older kids, have them review the last 12 months of electric bills. See if they can figure out why the bills go up and down so much, and make suggestions on how to save energy.
Check out the Virutal Wind Farm Field Trip: Share the wind farm virtual field trip. Talk about what they’ve learned!
Do you live in an Excel area? You can opt-in to supporting renewable energy too! Here’s how:
Residential electric customers can call Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-4999 or visit ResponsibleByNature.com/Windsource to enroll.
Business electric customers can contact their account manager or call their Business Solutions Center at 1-800-481-4700.
Subscription Amounts:
Customers choose how much of their energy they’d like to get from Windsource.
- They can start with one block per month, which is the equivalent of 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, or about enough electricity to power the lights in a typical home for a month*. (The cost per block varies by state.)
- They can also choose to get 100% of their energy from Windsource.
- The money received from Windsource customers is used to purchase wind energy.
- The premium shows up on the customer’s monthly energy bill.
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