Dear Mr. Energy: video games and money down the drain

Dear Mr. Energy,

All my kids want to do is play video games, watch TV, or use the computer. Everything they enjoy has to be plugged in! I’m convinced that what they see as “free” entertainment is actually costing me money every time they turn it on. How can I make them care about saving energy?

–Frustrated Mama in Mebane

Dear Frustrated Mama,

Mr. Energy feels your pain. He feels as if he spends most of his weekend walking around the house turning off lights that his children have left on. Now, Mr. Energy is not qualified to give you parenting advice, but he can tell you the single best way to save energy when plugging into electronic entertainment: turn off the console, TV, or computer when play is over. Better yet, plug the console and TV into a power strip so the whole unit can be turned off when not in use. Unplugging, or simply turning off, this equipment when not in use can cut energy consumption by up to 90%. That’ll add up!