Yorkshire-based Warm.co.uk says that in an age of rising energy prices and diminishing energy security, it’s time that young people are taught that gas and electricity are not finite resources and that heating has become a hot topic.
“We’ve become used to warm comfortable homes, and young people need to be taught that heating is one of many things that shouldn’t be taken for granted,” says Jonathan Ratcliffe from Warm.co.uk. “Energy classes in schools shouldn’t be just about the cost,” says Ratcliffe. “The trouble is that because parents are footing the bill, the money becomes an abstract concept to kids.” Instead, he says, classes about heating and energy should focus on:
- Efficiency
- Insulation
- The sources of our heating energy
- Domestic heating and its contribution to global warming
- Investing in greener energy
- How young people can take positive steps at home and in the wider world
Encouraging kids to explore the reasons behind energy use and preserving energy is just as important as a blunt lesson in turning down the thermostat. “This is an important addition to current citizenship teaching which young people need to arm themselves for the years ahead, where our energy security becomes more fragile,” Ratcliffe says. “Yes, they’ll be saving Bank of Mum and Dad a small fortune by turning the heating down, but they’ll also be learning important life lessons for when they themselves become adults.”