Is This a Ridiculous Punishment/consequence?

Yes. Taking the lights out of the room is a bit over the top.

As for the AC, I can understand. I like the temp at 72, but hubby prefers 68. I would probably let this one slide. If you try and enforce it, they will either just adjust it when you aren't around, or complain constantly that its too hot!

My parents have lights that everyone is constantly leaving on. We went around and changed all of those lights to the new energy saving (can't think of the name!). light bulbs. So that instead of leaving on a 60w bulb 24/7, its using only 10w.

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I would start charging them. If you walk into an empty room with lights or AC on, they owe you $! That would get the point across!

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I don't think that would have made a huge impression on me when I was an adolescent, unless my mom (who was something of a control nut anyway) imposed the same rule day after day after week.

Might you try a positive approach? Family meeting, electric bill, problem, new expectation, reward. If everybody works together to lower the bill, use the money you saved for a celebratory event (let the kids help determine what "prize" would motivate them).

Young teens (and older teens) are genuinely distracted by all that's going on in their lives, and hitting a switch when leaving a room is not something they habitually remember. After a few months, new habits will hopefully have become established. The reward may gradually become your verbal appreciation for compliance, with an occasional special family pizza night or other things your children value.

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Lights? Maybe. AC, DEFINITELY, turn it off for one week! No matter how hot it gets! When they get it back, remind them not to forget to use it right or they'll lose it again! Shoot I hear stories all the time from my mom and grandma about life with no AC. They'll learn a lesson and you'll save some dough! And if they have allowance, start charging them what their share of the bill would be. Divide your bill by number of rooms or something.

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Nope, sounds like the perfect consequence. I would tell them they have used up all the electricity you had allotted for today by changing their AC settings and leaving their lights on - so now they have to wait until tomorrow to get it back. Don't wait until it gets warm though, consequences need to be immediate, that way they work best. Tell them you will do this every time they don't stick to what you had agreed upon.
I am sure they will change their habits pretty fast.
Good luck!

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At their age I think it is a fair punishment. They are old enough to live by the rules.

My 4 year old even remind my husband to turn off lights, I'm starting mine out young. LOL

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You want to borrow my 7 year old? She will have them in tip top shape in no time. If I leave the room to go to the bathroom, she goes in my room & turns out the light. When she was in pre-school, she would bring home her yogurt cups because they did not have a re-cycle basket there. If we buy something at the store & its only one item, she tells the sales clerk, that we don't need a bag. She's been doing this since she was 4. If I forget to put the a/c up when we leave for the day, I get scolded when we get home...Sometime I have to remind her who the mom is.

Personally I think its a great idea, both the lights & no a/c for the night.

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Oh, I love it.
My (almost)15 year old son says that is perfect. And to take the AC out also. He said that would get his attention.

He is usually the one in my house turning switches off and fussing at me for leaving lights one. LOL

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I have turned off our AC to prove a point. We also charge a quarter for any lights left on, no dinner until they are paid up. MIne are teens, preteens too.
I also let them write out checks to see exactly where our money goes, we still write checks to the phone and electric co, gas co and others.
They are privy to our household budget.
Curling irons, flatiron left on, they lose them.
THey stay in the shower for too long I go in and turn the water cold.
THey are all pretty freakie about turning off lights and such. THey have all been charged, all had cold showers and both girls have lost the curling iron at least once. Now they remind me when I leave lights on etc.

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Personally, I'd install occupancy sensors in the less used rooms: mudroom, bathrooms, basement, hallways. They cost about $20 and replace the regular switch. The sensor turns the light on when you go into the room and keeps it on for a set amount of time after you leave.

http://www.amazon.com/Maxxima-Electrical-Occupancy-Sensor...

You can talk to an electrician about options for the AC. Perhaps a timer or control that shuts everything down during the day when no one is home.

As far as consequences for teens, I find that often the "lesson" is lost on them. I might have them monitor the power bill with me and see if we can save money by working together to turn off unused lights, AC and electronics. If the bill drops below "normal", the savings could be used for a special treat. For my boys, it's going out for dinner or frozen yogurt.

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I would flick the switch to that / those particular fuses so that there is no power going to those areas and when they ask you about it say something like, "I had the power company cut the power to help save money because you guys throw it away like trash" and if it gets too hot use an extension cord with a fan that is plugged in to a socket in the hall or something
Wow Im mean LOL
Good Luck

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It will make a good point to take away their light bulb's. It would only take one night without ac for them to remember to turn it off because they won't want to go without it again.

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Sounds like a good plan to me!

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You know your kids best and what may work for them. As you said they can do their homework elsewhere so I see no problem.

They're also at the age where you should be able to explain to them that you need to work as a team to get the electricity bill under control. Ask them for their input as to what they think the family can do to conserve. And, I'd explain that if I was saving "X" amount of $$$, I'd have that much more to do something fun with them!

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No, not over the top, I would do it. I've found that sometimes the punishments that are "a little nutty" are the most effective.
Good luck!

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nope- not over the top at all. When my kids leave lights on - out goes the bulb. Sometimes hard to explain to company why we have so many missing bulbs ;). They learned the lessons REAL quick, trust me.

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$200 is 'staggering'? $250 is the VERY MINIMUM of our utility bill!

But to answer your question, no I would not take LIGHTS away from them for their AC crime, I'd take AC away from them if anything at all.

:)

**Also, bill paying is the very LAST thing on a kid's mind on the way to school. To be honest, I would remind them daily to turn the thing off.

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Nah, they won't care. Hit them where it hurts - their wallet. $1 every time they leave a light on - $5 if their AC isn't on the correct setting. And since you have no way of knowing who isn't turning off lights - both kids have to pay.

I'd also post some signs to turn off the lights. Make signs for their rooms about the AC.

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I don't know, try it. For 80 bucks, I'd be nutty.

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As long as they are old enough... why not... it is summer after all, so they won't be freezing to death or anything... although I suspect they'll probably just hang out in different rooms.

Why not have them "pay" their utilities for a little while (a month maybe), if they are old enough to understand that concept. In the "real world", you save on electricity because it is expensive not to! Someday they will be renting an apartment probably, and chances are they will have to pay utilities then. If the get an allowance, utilities could come out of that... or from working on extra chores for money. Maybe if they have to foot the bill for their lights, TV, AC etc for a bit, they'll start being more frugal with it. If they use more than they can "pay for"- the power gets shut off (to that child) just like in the real world!

My mom always used those kinds of lessons with me as a kid. Rather than giving me a guilt trip about it, she explained how things would be if I was an adult, and those lessons really "stuck"!

Good Luck!
-M.

PS: obviously there is a limit - if it is in the 100's have a little mercy with the AC... but if there is no real harm and they'll just be uncomfortable- do what you have to!

If they have allowance you could t

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Absolutely - make them appreciate the things they take for granted and think are "free".

At 13, they are old enough to look at the electrical bills and see where their money is going - that's money they can't have in allowance or for treats (clothes, ice cream, movies) because it went to pay the utility company.

I'd also take away luxuries like desserts and snacks. $80 a month is a lot of money. And that's just dealing with your budget, not with the environmental toll from burning more coal just to teach the kids to turn off switches.

You can buy motion detector switches that shut off lights when there is no movement in the room, but that's an investment and it doesn't really teach the kids to be conscious of what they are doing. You can also take the AC out of their rooms. Give them the choice - be responsible, or be hot and in the dark.

Stick to your values, Mama - you're doing the right thing! And it wouldn't hurt for your husband to get on board here! Maybe no dessert for him either!

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An attention getter would be to show them the difference in the bill, how and why then tell them that if this conintues they are required to pay 5% or whatever their "contribution" to the overage is out of their allowance or something along those lines.

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ohh, I went to boarding school and as punishment we did get manditory lights out, but for what, I cannot remember. Yes, its effective, but don't let it interfere with homwork.

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I would have them do chores around the house. For each chore they do,
give it an amount, vacuuming $1.00 etc. Make them work off the difference
in the bill. They are old enough to understand that leaving on lights costs
money. As far as AC that would only be for outrageously hot nights. They
do not need it on during the day.

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go for it! I think its a clever way to use natural consequences as discipline!

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SSounds good to me. If their room is on a single breaker, you can also flip the breaker switch. I do that with the heat when my son insists on playing with it in August.

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I think it's a great idea. My mother once removed my brothers bedroom door because he wouldn't stop slamming it.

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I second the sensors. They are kids and let's face, kids simply do not think about things like this. Until they are old enough to be accountable (read: pay the bills), this won't change. We switched out all the hallway lights, as well as the kitchen and bathroom. We saw a huge decrease in our utility bill as well as our blood pressure.

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Let the punishment fit the crime.

It fits.

_________________

Btw... I have few lingering quirks from a perky case of PTSD many moons ago. One of them is coming home to a dark house, or there being dark rooms in the house. Even if it's sunny and gorgeous, and there are no lights on in the house, I turn each and every single room (at least 1 light per room) on before I leave. Usually I just leave them running 24/7 in most of the house, and 12-16 hours in the bedrooms.I switched over to the glass covered twisty bulbs (takes about 30 seconds to heat up to full light) when they were on sale a few years ago (3 for 10 instead of 10-15 each). They last for years, so I haven't had to replace them. Each burns about 5-20 watts. So I can leave them on 24/7, and use less electricity that a normal bulb for 2 hours. The glass covering over them means they emit "normal" colored bulb light instead of that obnoxious CF light. When we left for a month... before we had our TV (no lights on at all, just fridge. Our power bill only decreased by about $20). Love those lights.

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I'm not sure my son would notice.
He's more of a flashlight kid than a flip the switch on kid.
I got him an LED crank up flashlight (It's great in case of no power) and it will be a long time before we need to change batteries.

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Another way to reinforce the idea that using electricity costs money would be to cut back on something that is important to them that also costs money. Cancel the dance lesson, or cancel their allowance, or tell them they can't have money for a movie or Netflix or whatever it is they do that they love that costs money. After all, you have to sink that money into the electric bill, so there won't be any left over for their fun. Post the electric bill where everyone can see it. Make it a challenge, as a family, to reduce it next month. Offer a reward (a video game or something) to anyone who turns off their AC and lights consistently for the next 3 weeks, and post a chart so you or they can check off that they did that.

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I charge my kids for leaving lights on, water running (yes, water!), doors wide open when the heat/AC is running--and make them rectify the situation, if possible (sounds like your kids are already gone sometimes when the problem situation is discovered.) "Suzy, you owe me 25 cents for leaving the BR light on, go turn it off and get me your fine money," "Suzy, you forgot to turn the BR light off like I asked, you owe me another 25 cents, and make sure to go turn it off now" My middle son racked up $2.00 in 'fines' in less than 20 minutes one day a few months ago, but that was the last fine he got, so apparently he learned!

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I know I'm late to this party, but I can't help but wonder what your husband is doing to help solve this problem. You say that your often the last one home, and all of the lights are on and everyone is in one room. I assume "everyone" includes hubby. So it seems to me that this issue is not only about your kids, but also about where they are learning it. If your husband is home alone with the kids, HE should be as responsible as the kids for keeping the unnecessary items turned off. After all kids learn the most from their role models and if your husband doesn't make an effort to conserve why would they?

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I think your idea is "brilliant " !!!! (pun intended)

I had a similar problem, but my kids were a little younger. I asked them to be my "Power Rangers" - my youngest daughter really grabbed onto that idea and she would go around shutting off any light that didn't need to be on. The month after we started the Power Rangers I saved $35 on my electricity bill ! Older kids are really into money - maybe if you told them that in the first month (or two) any savings on the electric bill would be split evenly by all of them - and once they're in the habit of doing it for a couple of months maybe they'll just keep on doing it. Of course, now that the daylight is longer, your bill should go down automatically, so maybe you'll need to compare to the same month last year or something like that. Good luck!

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Should I assume you don't have central air? I had the AC problem which is very expensive. I bought a programmable thermostat for around 50 dollars. That way when everyone is gone it kicks it up to an appropriate temperature. Heck you can even have it go back up before they get home so it is cool enough that they don't feel like turning it down to meat locker levels.

My ex was so bad I used to have it programmed to keep going back up in the morning every 30 minutes. He would keep turning it down to 60.

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Not riduculous at all - creative... You could also charge them... or dock their allowance to cover the amout you feel is over what you should pay.

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That is WAY over the top, just for electricity! What is the major problem here, the fact that you have no money and do not want to have to pay a $200 necessary electric bill OR the fact that you are a fanatic about leaving lights on and just want to beat your kids into submission about not leaving them on.

If you are faced with the first reason, then you just need to put energy saving bulbs in their rooms, have a sensor or responsible adult turn off the AC and lights when you leave, or simply unplug the switches that are not being used often. The child isn't conscious or aware of the necessity of saving electricity until they have to pay for it themselves

If you are on them for the latter reason, then that is something you have a problem with and it would be punishing the kid for something you have an obsession about.

I think you should emphasize the need to turn off the lights, but make sure the punishment fits the crime!

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I wish I had your electric bill. Our average monthly bill is about $250. Our electric bill can easily be over $400 a month is Summer. I don't turn on any lights during the day and have the normal appliances. My house in not very well insulated and the unit is a bit too small for this size home.

If you have the right kind of lightbulbs then they can be on 24 hours a day and not run the bill up. If the kids are hot then they should be able to be cool. It takes way more energy to cool down the furniture and walls in a house/room from being off all day and the structure heating up. It costs a lot less to keep the A/C on, on a higher temperature of course, but not running constantly. My brother has his own heat and air business and many many of my family are also in that line, across the nation as a matter of fact.

So, my information comes from experts. Also they have done tests on Myth Busters with the lightbulbs and they are experts too.

I think it is a WAY over reaction to take out light bulbs and turn off the AC for the night. I don't think the kids will think anything about it.

If you really want to save on electric usage call an electrician in and have the m do a test where they put a machine on your breaker box inside that stays for some time. It shows them what the usage of the breakers is and where the electricity is going. It may be that you will find exactly what is using the extra.

By the way, the utility companies across the USA are raising rates per unit too. Our is going up in June by about $20 a month.

That would get my attention in a hurry!

The alternative is that you could 'charge' your kids money to 'earn' back their AC/lights.

Love your creativity. They're not being hurt or damaged in any way. They're being inconvenienced and may decide to change for the better when their comforts (not necessities) are taken away.

Wow I think my highest bill over the winter was 150.. but then again I only use fans in summer as A/C makes me ill. As far as the A/C goes isn't there a lock you can use for temp? The lights sounds like everyone is doing.. so family meeting on that and switch to energy efficient bulbs or even the timers

Do your children have any money of their own? If so, I have a different idea that I think would make them take more responsibility as well as understand the problem better in the long term. Take an old coffee can and cut a slit in the lid. Label it "electric bill" and whenever one of your kids leaves a light on in a room or the air conditioner running etc, they have to put a quarter in the can. It doesn't sound like a lot but I bet it would add up fast!!

Ha! No, I think it's great! I've been thinking about similar ideas - but the only thing that gets through to my 16 year old step some is cash. So I was thinking of "charging" him every time I have to turn off the light in his room or the bathroom after he's left (mind you - we live in an apartment so this would be easier in my place than yours). Let us know if your plan works!!!!

Hahaha! That's awesome! I don't think its a ridiculous punishment at all, it fits the crime. Recently my sister-in-law was getting in trouble (she's a teenager) and when her phone died and she couldn't find her phone charger my husband was debating on whether or not to give it back to her. I told him "Go ahead, give her the charger if she's going to whine and complain about it. Just make sure that she gives you the phone battery as a trade. She either gets the charger or the battery. Her choice, but she still doesn't get to use the phone." :P

I fully support ridiculous punishments, they will be the memorable consequences.

LOVE IT, I think it could be a great lesson on how others live and how lucky we are to have services etc. My only concern would be how you maintain enforcement. Can they turn stuff off when you are not around? asleep?

Hope it works out, as a mom of a 3 year old and an ex-environmental science major--Nice job! Best of luck, N.

I'd take the AC out too, one night or two in a hot muggy room will leave them miserable enough to think twice about wasting electricity again.

Updated

I'd take the AC out too, one night or two in a hot muggy room will leave them miserable enough to think twice about wasting electricity again.

Sounds like a great idea! I hope they remember it for a long time!

i think it's awesome! a beautiful case of the punishment fitting the crime.
:) khairete
S.

Since the real issue is the bill, I'd go right to charging them money. I think in general that is one of the best disciplinary tools to use for teens if they have a job or get a regular allowance. They are in such a hurry to be grown-up and independent, so teaching them the very real financial consequences of wasteful practices gets the message across in a hurry (and hopefully sets a good foundation for how they will handle money when they're older). No, they are not "too young" to have to worry about that, as some responders have said! Are you kidding? Preteens and teens are perfectly capable of learning responsibility!

When I was in high school I didn't have a job at all but I did get an "allowance" for babysitting my siblings ($10-$15 a week). It wasn't much, so I tried to be very careful with my money. For awhile there, though, I seemed to have a problem with leaving a trail of my stuff around the house. My parents got tired of telling me to clean it up, so they decided to start charging me $1 for every time they found any of my stuff laying around where it did not belong. I think it took all of 3 infractions to permanently change my habits! I hated it then, but I fully intend to implement the same method when my kids are that age.

Sounds very fitting - but I couldn't do it. Instead I'd show them the bill, and split it by how many rooms are in your house. So if it's $200 a month and you have 8 rooms, then it costs approximately $25 per month for each room. If they do not want to adhere to the rules, they can start paying the money per room that they leave the lights on or AC cranked, etc. Depends on how hot it gets if I'd take the AC out. Growing up in the military some houses had AC and some didn't...it was MISERABLE when we didn't and I'd never do that to my kids, but if it's what works for you, DON'T feel bad about it. I get on my kids all the time for it, but I just keep reminding them. And I'll trade you electric bills!! We have gas heat and electric air, and while I do keep my decent sized home at 71 in the summer months, my year round bill is $215 a month - so that evens out my $500 summer bills! I can't stand the heat - and no one wants to be around me if I can't be cool inside. I don't mind it if I'm prepared for it, but I can't sleep in or clean house, etc.

I think that's a great idea. My kids don't have lights in their rooms just because they only time they "play" in there is quiet time right before bed. At that time we'll provide a lamp for them but it leaves with us when it's light's out time. We're on an extremely tight budget and we just can't afford to pay any extra on our electric bill. So we sat down about it and talked it over why we can't just leave a light on. Not only is wasting energy but it costs money. To help them understand that, now if they leave a light on (or someone sees a light on and ignores it) they have to pay us for it. It's not much, just a nickle a transgression but when they don't get much in the first place, it's a lot (it's along the same lines as the real percentage we pay for power) so they've gotten really good at taking care of the lights. It doesn't matter if we have energy saving bulbs and equipment or not. It needs to be properly turned off and even unplugged if applicable.

Squirt them in the face with water! ;) wink wink

I think lights might be going a bit far but would certainly leave a lasting impact! I'm of the opinion that we owe our kids certain things - food, water, clothing, shelter. Implied within shelter is water and electricity. I wouldn't take away an essential necessity that they might end up telling thier therapist about someday! :) But, I don't know, if they pushed me hard enough and it wasn't a 1st, or 2nd offense, I might have to rethink that postion.