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Energy Conservation Contract Students learn about saving energy and encourage their families to conserve in this outreach activity.

Grade Levels: OFF

Elem Elementary

Pri Ele

Int Intermediate Sec

Subject Areas: Science Math

Language Arts

NEED Mission Statement The mission of The NEED Project is to promote an energy-conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, business, government, and community leaders to design and deliver objective, multi-sided energy education programs.

Permission to Copy NEED curriculum is available for reproduction by classroom teachers only. NEED curriculum may only be reproduced for use outside the classroom setting when express written permission is obtained in advance from The NEED Project. Permission for use can be obtained by contacting info@need.org.

Energy Data Used in NEED Materials NEED believes in providing teachers and students with the most recently reported, available, and accurate energy data. Most statistics and data contained within this guide are derived from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Data is compiled and updated annually where available. Where annual updates are not available, the most current, complete data year available at the time of updates is accessed and printed in NEED materials. To further research energy data, visit the EIA website at www.eia.gov.

Teacher Advisory Board

Teacher Advisory Board Constance Beatty Kankakee, IL

Robert Lazar Albuquerque, NM

La’Shree Branch Highland, IN

Melissa McDonald Gaithersburg, MD

Jim M. Brown Saratoga Springs, NY

Paula Miller Philadelphia, PA

Mark Case Randleman, NC

Hallie Mills St. Peters, MO

Lisa Cephas Philadelphia, PA Nina Corley Galveston, TX Samantha Danielli Vienna, VA

Monette Mottenon Montgomery, AL

Mollie Mukhamedov Port St. Lucie, FL In support of NEED, the national Teacher Advisory Board (TAB) is dedicated to developing, Shannon Donovanimproving, and promoting standards-based, effective energy curriculum, training, and outreach. NEED thanks these individuals forRItheir support and collaboration. Greene, Cori Nelson Winfield, IL Greg Schanne Paula Miller, M.Ed Samantha Danielli, M.Ed Adebisi Babayemi, M.Ed, NBCT Michelle Garlick Philadelphia, PAJr. Philadelphia, PALong Grove, IL Vienna, VA Bowie, MD Don Pruett Amy Schott, M.Ed, Hallie Mills, EdD Jennifer Davis, M.Ed La’Shree Branch Puyallup, WA NBCT Raleigh, NC Sammamish, WA Cincinnati, OH Highland, IN Michelle Gay Kristin M.Ed Jennifer Mitchell-Winterbottom, M.Ed, WT Michelle Garlick, M.Ed James M. Brown, NBCT, CEM, BOC Daphne, AL JudySlota, Reeves Yardley, PA Pottstown, PA Saratoga Springs, NY Cary, IL Lake Charles, LA Brandon Staton Nancy Gifford, M.S. Mollie Mukhamedov Karely Carlos, M.S. Nancy Gifford Port St. Lucie, FL Thomasville, NC Harwich, MA Lodi, CA Harwich, MA Libby Robertson Matthew Reis, PhD Jennifer Trochez Mark Case, M.S. Erin Gockel, M.Ed Chicago, IL Maclean, M.Ed, NBCT Farmington, NM Chía, ColombiaErin Gockel Los Angeles, CA Randleman, NC Scott Valenta Greg Holman Craig Richard, M.Ed Lisa Cephas, M.Ed Farmington, NM Amy Schott Winfi eld, IL NC Philadelphia, PA Paradise, CA Atkinson, NH Raleigh, Libby Robertson Nina Corley Melissa King, MLIS Robert Griegoliet Chicago, IL Galveston, TX Gaithersburg, MD Naperville, IL Tom Spencer Chesapeake, VA Eric Havel Oakland, CA Jennifer Trochez MacLean NEED Teachers eventually must retire from the classroom, but many remain engaged in their communities and with NEED curriculum, training, and DaNel Hogan Los Angeles, CA outreach activities. NEED thanks these individuals for their continued support and collaboration. Tucson, AZ Constance Beatty Barbara Lazar, M.Ed Cori Nelson Judy Reeves Wayne Yonkelowitz Kankakee, IL Albuquerque, NM Hinckley, IL Holman Lake Charles, LA Greg Fayetteville, WV Paradise, CA Melinda Forist Robert Lazar Don Pruett, Jr., M.Ed Wayne Yonkelowitz, M.Ed, NBCT,

NEED TAB Emeriti

Wellfleet, MA

Albuquerque, NM

Puyallup, WA

Barbara Lazar Albuquerque, NM

Milken Educator Fayetteville, WV

Energy Conservation Contract

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Energy Conservation Contract Table of Contents Standards Correlation Information

Teacher Guide

Home Energy Savings Bingo Instructions

Home Energy Savings Bingo

Home Energy Assessment

Energy Conservation Contract

Reap the Rewards

Saving Energy, Saving Money, Saving the Planet

Evaluation Form

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Standards Correlation Information www.NEED.org/educators/curriculum-correlations

Next Generation Science Standards  This guide effectively supports many Next Generation Science Standards. This material can satisfy performance expectations, science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts within your required curriculum. For more details on these correlations, please visit NEED’s curriculum correlations website.

Common Core State Standards  This guide has been correlated to the Common Core State Standards in both language arts and mathematics. These correlations are broken down by grade level and guide title, and can be downloaded as a spreadsheet from the NEED curriculum correlations website.

Individual State Science Standards  This guide has been correlated to each state’s individual science standards. These correlations are broken down by grade level and guide title, and can be downloaded as a spreadsheet from the NEED website.

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Teacher Guide

& Background

Grade Levels

According to the Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. household spent just under $1,200 on electricity alone from November, 2025 through March, 2026. For some households, this is a manageable expense. For others, however, it is a sizeable portion of their entire budget. Additionally, nearly 58 percent of electricity generated in 2025 was produced using fossil fuels. When fossil fuels are used as energy sources, they emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Climatologists agree that human activity is driving the climate change we see today. Students can be instrumental in helping their households reduce energy consumption through some simple behavioral assessments. Energy Conservation Contract is designed to provide your students with a brief overview of home energy use and some simple steps they can take to get started. To begin the activity, students are encouraged to complete a Home Energy Assessment with the rest of their household members. As a household, they should then brainstorm some ideas to reduce energy consumption, commit to three of them, and sign a pledge that they will employ these measures for one month. At the end of the month, students, with adults in their household, evaluate utility expenditures to see how much money and carbon dioxide they saved.

 Notes for Success Some people can be sensitive when discussing their home energy use. They may feel as though the “energy police” are coming to criticize their choices. Consider sending an email home before starting this activity, explaining that students are learning about energy consumption in school and are being asked to discuss and track energy-using habits and energy expenditures at home for one month. Emphasize that the purpose is to help students practice real-world skills while they identify ways to save energy. If it is helpful, you can remind parents that the assignments students complete will be kept confidential. It is important to be sensitive to student home-life scenarios and their access to completing these activities. Consider how you will approach each task and the discussion, and consider how “mandatory” each item is, while offering alternatives for completion. For example, some students may have difficulty accessing their utility bills, especially if their utilities are included in their rent payment. Be prepared to provide alternative data students can use for the calculation, or have students work in pairs for that portion of the assignment.

Elementary, grades 4-5 Intermediate, grades 6-8

 Time Two to three 45-minute class periods over a one-month period, plus homework.

 Additional Resources This contract activity is a wonderful companion piece to many of NEED’s efficiency and conservation titles. These titles contain student informational text and hands-on explorations that provide the necessary background to enhance this contract activity. All NEED titles can be downloaded in PDF format at www.NEED.org/shop. School Energy Inspectors School Energy Experts School Energy Managers

You know your students, school, and its surrounding community best. If, in your judgment, you think you will be met with significant resistance to household leaders sending their utility consumption data to school, Saving Energy, Saving Money, Saving the Planet is an alternative calculating activity your students can use to understand how changing habits leads to immediate rewards. If you live in an area where heating equipment is not typically necessary, you may wish to adapt the heating-related statements to reflect good habits when using air conditioning or central cooling. Lastly, while the intention behind the math activities is to show students how their behavior can have an immediate, direct impact on their household budgets and carbon footprints, emphasis should be placed on energy-saving behaviors rather than the results of their calculations. When going through the calculations with students, emphasize that weather will have a huge impact on how much energy they use for heating or cooling. Students should not despair if they actually use more energy in the month following the pledge. Alternatively, you can have students access data for the same month of the previous year to compare if your winter weather has been less predictable.

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2Preparation Preview Reap the Rewards and Saving Energy, Saving Money, Saving the Planet and decide if you will have students obtain their utility consumption data or use hypothetical data and scenarios you provide. Prepare paper or digital copies of the student pages to project or hand out as needed. Consider completing a sample assessment and/or pledge with your own household, or fabricate one to use as a model for demonstration of the activity.

 Gather Some Information The Reap the Rewards and Saving Energy, Saving Money, Saving the Planet activities involve calculations using data that changes annually and varies regionally or by state. National averages are provided in each calculation, but the results may be more meaningful when students are using data that relates to where they live. To find your own regional or state figures, NEED suggests the following: To find your state’s electricity generation sources mix: visit www.eia.gov/states. A graphic with hexagons representing each state is at the top of the page. Click on your state. Find the menu bar that says “Overview | Data | Analysis | Rankings.” Hover over “Data”, then under “Activity,” select “Supply.” Scroll down to the “Net Electricity Generation (utility-scale) by Energy Source, Monthly” bar graph rankings, and click the gear beside the graph to toggle the settings. You can choose to display annual data, which will give you a bar graph by source for each year. You can also download the spreadsheet of data. To find your state’s electricity price (per kWh): visit www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser. On the top left of the page, find “Change data set,” and select “Average Retail Price of Electricity” from the drop down menu. It will update the graph and provide data below in table format. To find your state’s annual price average, scroll down to the table. First, click the “Annual” button on the top right of the table. Next, click the “FILTER/ORDER” button. Select your state or region from the “Geography” list. If comparing home prices only, select only “Residential” from the “Sectors” list, and uncheck all others. If comparing schools, however, you might wish to include commercial costs as well. Click “Submit” and the green check to load your state’s data. You may also use the price charged by your local utility if readily available. To find your state’s carbon dioxide emissions data: visit www.eia.gov/electricity/state/alabama. This link takes you to Alabama— you can change the state by using the drop-down menu at right. Scroll down through the table to find the pounds of carbon dioxide emitted per megawatt-hour of electricity in your state. Then multiply by 1,000 to get pounds per kilowatt-hour. You can substitute this number into the Reap the Rewards activity, at the end of the electricity section.

Procedure 1. Introduce the concepts of energy efficiency and conservation by playing a quick game of Home Energy Savings Bingo with your students. Instructions can be found on page 8, an answer key on page 9, and the bingo sheet can be reproduced on page 10. 2. Give each student a copy of the Home Energy Assessment and Energy Conservation Contract and explain that they will be surveying the members of their household to find opportunities for energy savings. 3. Explain to students how to lead the discussion surrounding the Home Energy Assessment. Provide some sample phrases, such as, “This survey will help us find ways to save energy and money,” or “Let’s work together to find ways to save energy and money at home. We will start with this survey.” Emphasize the need for household members to be honest when answering the questions. 4. Project a copy of the Home Energy Assessment and show students how to shade in their household’s responses using your own household survey or fabricated answers. 5. Project a copy of the Energy Conservation Contract and discuss each section. Use your sample/fabricated survey to model how students might discuss and review their surveys at home, identify areas that could be improved, and complete their contracts with their households. If caregivers are on board, you may even encourage students to bring their surveys back to class for analysis before encouraging them to create a household contract. Make sure to remind students that if their homes are heated with a central steam system and they cannot control their thermostat, or if they do not have heating systems at home, they should focus on reducing electricity consumption. 6. Provide students with a firm due date for completing the Home Energy Assessment and Energy Conservation Contract. Explain that they should keep their surveys and contracts in a visible spot at home, and they will revisit them in one month with their household. Make sure to provide ample time for students to complete the assessment and contract with members of their household at home. It is suggested to allow several days to accommodate work, extracurricular, and other scheduling events.

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7. A few days before the end of the one-month contract period, distribute Reap the Rewards activity, students can ask the adults in their household to fill in or help them fill in the natural gas and electricity consumption data for the contract period. 8. At the end of the one-month contract period, distribute a new copy of the Home Energy Assessment so students can lead their households through the survey again and see how they have improved. 9. Have students go through the Reap the Rewards calculations in class. Be prepared to discuss alternative fuels such as fuel oil, propane, and wood, and explain how to determine their carbon dioxide savings in one season. Data for these three fuels is provided in the Notes for Success section, below. ALTERNATIVE FUEL EMISSION INFORMATION FOR REAP THE REWARDS: Fuel oil – 22.46 pounds CO2 per gallon Propane – 12.68 pounds CO2 per gallon Wood – approximately 3,000 to 3,500 pounds CO2 per cord of wood; one cord is neatly stacked and occupies a space that is 4 feet wide, 8 feet long, and 4 feet high. Use rounded numbers according to students’ capabilities. 10. Start a tally for the money or carbon dioxide saved in your class. You can do this two ways: a. Create a chart where students can shade in their savings for the month. b. Create a shared spreadsheet where students can add their monetary or carbon dioxide savings (or both). Have students use their initials or an approved nickname for their data points. Then display a graph of the class’s results. 11. Invite students to encourage their households to continue their contracts for the rest of the year, or while keeping the three habits they adopted for this month, find three new habits to adopt for another month and track the savings.

R Assessment Play Home Energy Savings Bingo as an assessment to close the activity. Assess student knowledge gain based upon participation in contract activities and reductions. Evaluate the activity with your students using the evaluation form on page 23 and return it to NEED.

Extension Activities Be sure to let the school, caregivers, and the community know how much energy your contract projects saved! Make a chart and publicize the results in the local newspaper, your school paper, and/or a PTA bulletin. Figure out how much money or carbon dioxide the participating households would save in one year if they continue their energy-saving behaviors, or figure out how much energy would be saved if two or three times as many households implemented the energy-saving behaviors. Do you want to do a more comprehensive project? You can use the activities below to build students’ communication, writing, geography, or math skills. Examine the activities given and pick one or more that fit your needs.

Press Conference (Skills: communication, writing)

Involve the entire school in your contract project. Host a press conference to let everyone know what the project is all about.

Have a VIP (principal, mayor, or congressperson) sign an Energy Conservation Contract Brainstorm VIPs the class might be able to enlist in your efforts by signing a contract.

Letters to VIPs (Skills: writing)

Write a letter to a state or U.S. congressperson, the President, or local community leader. Explain what your class is doing to raise energy awareness in your community. Enclose the results of your efforts.

50 States Campaign (Skills: writing, geography)

Begin a long-distance learning campaign with students and teachers from across the country, and aim to engage students from all 50 states. Ask students to start with those they know in other states like family, friends, summer camp buddies, and pen pals.

NEED’S Youth Awards Project (Skills: writing, communication)

Create a slide show or video summarizing your surveys, pledges, results and other energy activities and share it with NEED to be entered into our annual Youth Awards Program. Submissions are due each year on April 15th. Head to www.youthawards.NEED.org for more information.

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Home Energy Savings BINGO Instructions

Home Energy Savings Bingo is a great icebreaker for a NEED workshop or conference. As a classroom activity, it also makes a great introduction to an energy unit.

Get Ready Duplicate as many Home Energy Savings Bingo sheets (found on page 10) as needed for each person in your group. In addition, decide now if you want to give the winner of your game a prize and what the prize will be.

Get Set Pass out one Home Energy Savings Bingo sheet to each member of the group.

2Preparation 5 minutes

Time 45 minutes Bingos are available on several different topics. Check out these resources for more bingo options! Biomass Bingo—Energy Stories and More Coal Bingo—Coal guides Energy Bingo—Energy Games and Icebreakers Energy Efficiency Bingo— Efficiency & Conservation Guides Hydrogen Bingo—H2 Educate Hydropower Bingo— Hydropower guides Nuclear Energy Bingo— Nuclear guides Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Bingo—Exploring Ocean Energy and Resources Oil and Natural Gas Bingo— Oil and Natural Gas guides Science of Energy Bingo— Science of Energy guides Solar Bingo—Solar guides Transportation Bingo— Transportation guides Wind Energy Bingo—Wind guides

Go PART ONE: FILLING IN THE BINGO SHEETS Give the group the following instructions to create bingo cards: This bingo activity is very similar to regular bingo. However, there are a few things you’ll need to know to play this game. First, please take a minute to look at your bingo sheet and read the 16 statements at the top of the page. Shortly, you’ll be going around the room trying to find 16 people about whom the statements are true so you can write their names in one of the 16 boxes. When I give you the signal, you’ll get up and ask a person if a statement at the top of your bingo sheet is true for them. If the person gives what you believe is a correct response, write the person’s name in the corresponding box on the lower part of the page. For example, if you ask a person question “D” and they give you what you think is a correct response, then go ahead and write the person’s name in box D. A correct response is important because later on, if you get bingo, that person will be asked to answer the question correctly in front of the group. If they can’t answer the question correctly, then you lose bingo. So, if someone gives you an incorrect answer, ask someone else! Don’t use your name for one of the boxes on your own sheet or use the same person’s name twice. Try to fill all 16 boxes in the next 20 minutes. This will increase your chances of winning. After the 20 minutes are up, please sit down and I will begin asking players to stand up and give their names. Are there any questions? You’ll now have 20 minutes. Go! During the next 20 minutes, move around the room to assist the players. Every five minutes or so tell the players how many minutes are remaining in the game. Give the players a warning when just a minute or two remains. When the 20 minutes are up, stop the players and ask them to be seated. PART TWO: PLAYING BINGO Give the class the following instructions to play the game: When I point to you, please stand up and in a LOUD and CLEAR voice give us your name. Now, if anyone has the name of the person I call on, put a big “X” in the box with that person’s name. When you get four names in a row—across, down, or diagonally—shout “Bingo!” Then I’ll ask you to come up front to verify your results. Let’s start off with you (point to a player in the group). Please stand and give us your name. (Player gives name. Let’s say the player’s name is “Joe.”) Okay, players, if any of you have Joe’s name in one of your boxes, go ahead and put an “X” through that box. When the first player shouts “Bingo,” ask them to come to the front of the room. Ask them to give their name. Then ask them to tell the group how their bingo run was made, e.g., down from A to M, across from E to H, and so on.

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Now you need to verify the winner’s results. Ask the bingo winner to call out the first person’s name on their bingo run. That player then stands and the bingo winner asks them the question which he previously answered during the 20-minute session. For example, if the statement was “can name two renewable sources of energy,” the player must now name two renewable sources. If they can answer the question correctly, the bingo winner calls out the next person’s name on their bingo run. However, if they do not answer the question correctly, the bingo winner does not have bingo after all and must sit down with the rest of the players. You should continue to point to players until another person yells “Bingo.”

HOME ENERGY SAVINGS BINGO ANSWERS A.

Knows the average cost per kilowatthour of electricity for residential customers

Can name two renewable energy sources

Has an ENERGY STAR® appliance at home

Can name two ways to save energy at home

Can name two ways to save energy while using a car or truck

Knows what uses the most energy in a home

H. Knows how electricity is generated

Can explain energy efficiency

Knows the cheapest source of light

Knows what a smart strip is used for

N. Can name two water-saving habits

Knows a greenhouse gas produced by P. the burning of fossil fuels

M. Knows what a lumen is

Biomass Geothermal Hydropower Solar Wind

$0.17 in 2025

Knows how appliances and electronics earn the ENERGY STAR® rating Knows what LED stands for

D Ask for description

Natural gas (40.8%)

Use a programmable thermostat, turn lights/devices off when done, keep doors and windows closed when heat or A/C is on, etc.

Keep tires inflated, change air filter, remove unnecessary items from trunk, avoid fast starts and hard stops, etc.

Heating and cooling, or just heating

Senses when TV is off and turns off related devices

The most efficient devices in their class earn the rating– refrigerators against other refrigerators, etc.

Energy efficiency is the energysaving step that focuses on how much energy devices use to do their job

Knows which energy source generates the most electricity in the U.S.

The sun/daylight

SI unit for measuring the total amount of light emitted by a source

Take showers instead of baths, turn water off while brushing teeth, repair leaky faucets, etc.

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Carbon dioxide

Steam, water, or wind turn a turbine, spinning a generator; PV cells change light into electricity directly

Light-emitting diode

HOME ENERGY SAVINGS BINGO

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Knows the average cost per kilowatthour of electricity for residential customers

Can name two renewable energy sources

Has an ENERGY STAR® appliance at home

Can name two ways to save energy at home

Can name two ways to save energy while using a car or truck

Knows what uses the most energy in a home

H. Knows how electricity is generated

Can explain energy efficiency

Knows the cheapest source of light

Knows what a smart strip is used for

N. Can name two water-saving habits

Knows a greenhouse gas produced by P. the burning of fossil fuels

ME ME NA ME

NA M

NA E

NA M

E NA M

Knows what LED stands for

ME NA

NA NA

Knows how appliances and electronics earn the ENERGY STAR® rating

M. Knows what a lumen is

Knows which energy source generates the most electricity in the U.S.

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Home Energy Assessment

We use energy every day. You read at night, watch TV, cook your food, wash your clothes, travel to school and around town, heat and/ or cool your home, and take warm baths or showers. All of these activities use a lot of energy. In 2020, the average household in the U.S. spent more than $1,800 on energy. Energy industry experts agree, it is easy to change some of our actions and behaviors to use less energy. Simple changes can easily save ten percent on utility bills—an average of $180 a year! What could your household do with $200? Throughout this short unit, you will take a closer look at how your household uses energy, and involve your household in the process. Together, you will look at the areas in which you can improve most and select three important items to adopt together. When you have agreed on the three, you will sign the Energy Conservation Contract, then watch your savings grow!

How to Rate Your Household’s Energy Use How much energy does your household use every month? Are you aware of the energy you use? There are many ways to save energy at home by changing your actions and being thoughtful about the energy you use. This assessment will help your household save energy in six areas: Building Envelope HVAC and Water Heating Appliances and Electronics Lighting Transportation Computing and Using the Cloud Sit down with all of the people in your home and rate yourselves and your home on each of the following statements. Do not be embarrassed, be honest! Most people don’t think twice about their energy-using habits. Once you know where you are, you can improve what you do. Shade the box for the rating value that most matches your current habits. A “0” means you never do something or it does not apply at all to the items in your home. A “4” means you always do something or it applies to all examples in your home. If there is something you cannot investigate or you are unsure of, select “NA” for not aware or not applicable.

BUILDING ENVELOPE Doors and windows seal well and close tightly with good seals to keep outside* air outside

1 0 Single

Windows are double- or triple-pane windows***—extra panes of glass insulate much better than just one

2 Double

NA 4 Triple

Attic is well-insulated (R-value according to DOE recommendations)

Walls are well-insulated (R-value according to DOE recommendations)

Ducts and pipes are leak-free and insulated where possible

Outlets and wall switches on exterior walls have insulating gaskets inside— outlet and switch boxes are often uninsulated

* To tell if your windows seal tightly, place a dollar bill or strip of paper in the window while it is open. Close the window and try to pull the paper out. If the paper slides out freely, your windows do not seal well. * **To look for the number of panes in a window, hold a flashlight to the glass at an angle. Count the number of reflected lights you see. One reflection is a single pane, while 2 sets or dots reflected is a double pane, and 3 sets or dots of light reflected is a triple-pane window.

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HVAC AND WATER HEATING Thermostat settings are appropriate for energy savings (68° F or below during heating season, 75°F and above during cooling season)

Replace filters regularly—dirty filters make furnace and air conditioner fans work harder

Regular maintenance and cleaning of heating and cooling equipment— well-maintained equipment works more efficiently and lasts longer

Keep windows and doors closed when heating or cooling system is turned on—open windows and doors are like heating the outdoors with your furnace

Keep water heater set to 120°F—Lower creates health risks, higher wastes energy and creates risks for burns

Wash clothes in cold water—most detergents are made for cold water washing, saving energy that was once needed to heat the water

Take shorter showers rather than baths—showers use significantly less water than baths

Prioritize ENERGY STAR® when purchasing—ENERGY STAR® rated appliances and electronics use the least amount of energy in their class

Use a microwave or toaster oven rather than full-sized oven—the oven uses much more energy than smaller appliances

Use the oven light instead of opening oven door—opening the door loses some heat

Use smart power strips with TV and entertainment devices—electronics only used with a TV often have phantom loads

Refrigerator and freezer seals are regularly checked—a leaky seal causes cold air loss and makes the appliance work harder

Preheat the oven for five minutes or less—preheating uses a lot of energy, and five minutes is usually sufficient

Do not leave refrigerator or freezer door open unnecessarily

Use LED lighting—light-emitting diodes are the most efficient lighting type

Use dimmer switches—adjusting the light level according to your task saves energy

Use task lighting—a desk lamp rather than a big, overhead light uses less energy

Use natural light when available—daylight is free!

Turn off lights when not in the room—lights do not use energy when they are switched off

Use photo sensors on outdoor lights—lights only come on when it is dark

APPLIANCES AND ELECTRONICS

LIGHTING

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TRANSPORTATION Walk or ride a bike as often as possible—the exercise is good for you, the fresh air improves your mood, and these do not emit greenhouse gases

Carpool or use public transportatio—many people in one vehicle have a lower carbon footprint than individual vehicles with one person

Keep tires at the correct pressure for your vehicle (on the inside of the car door)—the engine has to work harder when the tires are low in air pressure (more friction)

Keep air filter clean and do regular maintenance—the engine works harder when it cannot get enough air through the filter, and regular maintenance keeps the timing and operation of the engine at its most efficient

No extra items in the trunk—the engine works harder, and burns more fuel, when it is moving more weight around

Avoid jackrabbit starts and stops—a slower, more steady acceleration and braking pattern uses less fuel

Avoid drive-thru windows—go inside

Use AI for meaningful or purposeful reasons when it is necessary and helpful only

Regularly edit and delete unneeded photos and files saved on the cloud

Only sync most important information from smart phones and devices to the cloud

Regularly clean out and delete emails in inbox, sent and deleted items, and other folders

Unsubscribe from emails that are never read or not needed

Set limits on screen time, such as on social media or games

Place a phone call rather than video call

COMPUTING AND USING THE CLOUD

Now that you have rated yourselves in each category and against each behavior, look through the survey and see where most of your shaded boxes are located. Are they mostly 3 and 4, or mostly 0 or 1? If most of them are high, you are already a very energy-conscious household. If most of them are low, you have a lot of opportunities to save energy and lower those utility bills!

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Energy Conservation Contract

Use the information you collected in the Home Energy Assessment, and complete the following: 1.

Make a list of everything that you rated as 2 or lower.

Put a star beside the statements that are most important to your household.

Circle the stars of the three you are going to commit to changing.

ENERGY CONSERVATION CONTRACT

We, the members of this household, agree to make a sincere effort to conserve energy based on our survey results. We pledge to learn more about energy efficiency and conservation.

Post your Home Energy Assessment and this Energy Conservation Contract in your home where household members can see it and be reminded of their pledge. After the time period set by your teacher has passed, complete another Home Energy Assessment and shade any changes in a different color. Bring your assessment back to your class for further discussion.

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Reap the Rewards

Your choices matter! Now that you and members of your household have worked hard to save energy, it’s time to calculate how much money you might be saving. Each category below has a place for you to determine the money you saved and also how much less carbon dioxide was emitted into the atmosphere because of your new habits. By measuring energy use before and after the Home Energy Assessment, you and your household will better understand how much of an impact your efforts have. Date you took the Home Energy Assessment: Date you signed the Energy Conservation Contract:

Heating Your Home Much of the United States experiences cold or very cold winters. People who live where winters are cold or very cold need to heat the inside of their homes. Most of the energy used in homes in the United States is for heating.

Heating Equipment Used in U.S. Homes NATURAL GAS

50.7%

DataHeating is embedded with Natural Gasin the chart: Natural gas is50.7% an energy source found deep underground. Natural gas It formed from plants and animals that lived long ago, died, Electricity 34.5% and were buried by sediment. Over hundreds of millions of years, layers of rock pressed down on these remains. Heat Propane 4.2% and pressure slowly changed them into new substances, the main ingredient of natural gas. Fuel including Oil or methane, Kerosene 4.0% Methane can also be formed in landfills as garbage breaks Other Fuel down in the1.8% decay process. On farms, animal waste releases methane as it decays, too. When natural gas comes from Doessources NotlikeUse Heating Equipment 4.7% garbage or animal waste, it is called renewable natural gas. gas is the used to heat homes DataNatural Source is most EIA,common 2020fuelRECS in the United States—about half of all homes use it. In

ELECTRICITY

34.5% PROPANE

4.2%

FUEL OIL OR KEROSENE

4.0%

OTHER FUEL

1.8%

DOES NOT USE HEATING EQUIPMENT

4.7%

Data: EIA, 2020 RECS *Total may not equal 100% due to independent rounding

many houses, a natural gas furnace burns the gas inside a part called a heat exchanger. A fan blows air across the outside of the hot heat exchanger. The air warms up and is pushed through the house to heat the rooms. Some homes, however, use a different system called a boiler. A natural gas-fired boiler heats water instead of air, and a pump moves the hot water through pipes to warm the home. 1. What did your household decide at home to do to save energy while using your heating system?

2. When did you decide to start?

Energy Conservation Contract

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Ask one of the adults in your household to log into your natural gas utility’s website to access your billing history. 3. Billing date before you signed the Energy Conservation Contract: Natural gas used in this billing cycle (month):

therms

4. Billing date after you signed the Energy Conservation Contract: Natural gas used in this billing cycle (month):

therms

5. Number of days between Energy Conservation Contract date and most recent bill date:

days

6. What is the difference between the amount of gas used last month and this month? Subtract the smaller number from the larger number.

therms

7. Was your gas use higher, lower, or just about the same?

Lower

The Same

Higher

8. Changes in weather may also influence the amount of natural gas you used. Was last month’s weather very different from this month’s? Explain.

Most natural gas utilities charge their customers by the therm. A therm is one way to measure how much energy is in the gas. Your bill may list gas use in CCF (hundreds of cubic feet) or in therms. These are nearly the same. One CCF is equal to just a little more than 1 therm, so you can usually treat them as the same for simple calculations like this activity. In 2024, the average cost of natural gas in the United States was about $1.41 per therm. Your household’s price may be a little higher or lower. 9. Copy your answer from line 6:

therms

10. Multiply that number of therms by $1.41. This is the difference in price. 11. Did you pay more or less?

$ More

Less

12. Why do you think the amount of money changed?

Energy Conservation Contract

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Natural gas is a fossil fuel. When we use it for heating, we burn it. When fossil fuels burn, they produce carbon dioxide. Natural gas produces 11.7 pounds of carbon dioxide per therm (0.73 ounces). 13. Copy your answer from step 6:

therms

14. Multiply that number of therms by 11.7:

lbs. CO2

15. Did you produce more or less carbon dioxide? Why do you think that is the case?

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas, meaning it traps heat in the atmosphere. Using fossil fuels for energy has produced a lot of carbon dioxide—so much that it is leading to an increase in the global average temperature. Scientists agree that human activity is leading to changes in the Earth’s climate, including higher temperatures, more severe storms, less ice on land and sea, and longer, more severe droughts. Many of our behaviors and activities contribute to CO2 emissions. This is called your carbon footprint. When you use less energy, you reduce your carbon footprint. What are some choices you can make to further reduce your carbon footprint?

Other Heating Fuels A small number of homes in the United States use something other than natural gas or electricity for their heating. (We will include electricity for heating in the next section when we look at your household’s total electricity use.) It’s more difficult to show the cost and CO2 savings for fuel oil, propane, or wood. These fuels are usually purchased as needed, rather than on the same day every month like natural gas and electricity. To see how much you have saved, you may need to compare your household’s fuel use from last heating season to this year’s. Your teacher has information about the amount of carbon dioxide produced by each of these fuels. If your home is heated with a central steam system, it can be even harder to track energy savings because your household may not pay directly for that energy. In some older, multifamily buildings, you may not be able to control the temperature in your home. If this is the case, the best way to reduce your energy use and help reduce CO2 emissions is to focus on the electricity you use.

Electricity Electricity is the second most commonly used energy source for heating homes. It is also used in every house to power appliances, light rooms, cool the house with fans or air conditioners, and run electronic devices. Many different energy sources are used to make electricity in the United States. Most electricity in the United States comes from natural gas power plants, followed by nuclear power, coal, and wind energy. The sources used to make your electricity depend on what is available in your area and what your electric utility chooses to use. The utilities in some states use more fossil fuels, some use more nuclear power, and some use as many renewable sources as they can. No single energy source is better than another for generating electricity; they all have benefits and drawbacks. Electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours. This is a combination of the power, in watts, and the amount of time, in hours, that a device is using to operate. If a device uses 1,000 watts and runs for one hour, it uses one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity. Some common household items that use about 1,000 watts include a toaster, microwave, coffee maker, and hair dryer. If you ran any of these items for one hour, it would use about one kilowatt-hour of electricity. Your electric utility company charges you for every kilowatt-hour of electricity your household uses. In 2024, the average American family used 863 kilowatt-hours every month.

U.S. Electricity Generation by Source, 2025 BIOMASS, GEOTHERMAL, & OTHER FUELS

HYDROPOWER

5.5%

2.0%

SOLAR

6.5% WIND

10.5% COAL

16.6%

NATURAL GAS

40.8%

NUCLEAR POWER

17.7%

Data: EIA *Total may not equal 100% due to independent rounding

1. What did your household decide to do to save electricity?

2. When did you decide to start?

Energy Conservation Contract

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Ask one of the adults in your household to log into your electric utility’s website to access your billing history. 3. Billing date before you signed the Conservation Contract: Electricity used in this billing cycle (month):

kWh

4. Billing date after you signed the Conservation Contract: Electricity used in this billing cycle (month):

kWh

5. Number of days between Conservation Contract date and most recent bill date:

days

6. What is the difference between the amount of electricity used last month and this month? Subtract the smaller number from the larger number.

kWh

7. Was your electricity use higher, lower, or just about the same?

Lower

The Same

Higher

Across the country, people pay different prices for electricity. Why? One important reason is that not all states have access to all of the same fuels. As people needed more electricity, utilities built power plants in places where they were needed and used fuels that were available in that area. Nuclear power plants are built where there is a large body of water available for cooling. Large solar farms are installed where there is a lot of space. Wind turbines are built where the wind is consistently blowing fast enough to generate electricity. Some power plants are more expensive than others, and some fuels cost more than others. People in Hawaii pay the most—almost 41 cents per kilowatt-hour—for their electricity. North Dakota has the lowest average price, at just under 12 cents per kilowatt-hour. Nationally, households pay about 17 cents per kilowatt-hour. Your teacher may provide you with the average price of electricity for your state, or may give you the price your local utility charges per kilowatt-hour. Use either the price your teacher gives you or the national average price for electricity to complete the following calculations. 8. Copy your answer from line 6:

kWh

9. One kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity costs:

10. Multiply step 8 by step 9. This is the difference in the amount of money you spent on electricity as a household.

11. Did you pay more or less?

Less

12. Why do you think the amount of money changed?

Natural gas and coal are fossil fuels and produce carbon dioxide when they are burned. Nuclear energy, though, does not. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind also do not emit CO2. For every kilowatt-hour of electricity used in the United States, about 0.785 pounds of CO2 are emitted. Your state may have a lower number or a higher number. Your teacher will tell you whether you should use the national average or the number for your state, which your teacher will provide. Write it into step 13. 13. Again, copy your answer from line 6:

kWh

14. One kilowatt-hour of electricity produces

lbs. CO2

15. Multiply line 13 by line 14. This is the amount of carbon dioxide you kept from being emitted into the atmosphere.

lbs. CO2

16. Did you produce more or less carbon dioxide? Why do you think that is the case?

Energy Conservation Contract

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OFF

Saving Energy, Saving Money, Saving the Planet

Heating with Natural Gas Natural gas is an energy source found deep underground. It formed from plants and animals that lived long ago, died, and were buried by sediment. Over hundreds of millions of years, layers of rock pressed down on these remains. Heat and pressure slowly changed them into new substances, including methane, the main ingredient of natural gas. Methane can also be formed in landfills as garbage breaks down, methane gas is produced in the decay process. On farms, animal waste releases methane in the decay process. When natural gas comes from sources like garbage or animal waste, it is called renewable natural gas. Natural gas is the most common fuel used to heat homes in the United States—about half of all homes use it. In many houses, a natural gas furnace burns the gas inside a part called a heat exchanger. A fan blows air across the outside of the hot heat exchanger. The air warms up and is pushed through the house to heat the rooms. Some homes, however, use a different system called a boiler. A natural gas-fired boiler heats water instead of air and a pump moves the hot water through pipes to warm the home. The Rodrigues Family agreed to lower their thermostat from 72°F to 69°F for the winter season. After doing that for a month, they looked at their natural gas bill. In February, they used 17.03 therms less gas than in January. A therm is a way to measure the energy stored in natural gas. Some of this difference could be due to different weather, but some savings is due to the new habits practiced by household members. The average price of natural gas in the U.S. for residential customers is $1.41/therm. Calculate the savings: 1. Amount of natural gas saved by energy conserving habits: 2. Multiply that number of therms by $1.41. This is the difference in price.

17.03 therms $

For each therm of natural gas burned, 11.7 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted. Next calculate the emissions prevented by not burning 17.03 therms of natural gas: 3. Amount of natural gas saved by energy conserving habits:

17.03 therms

4. Multiply that number of therms by 11.7:

lbs. CO2

Heating with Fuel Oil Heating with fuel oil is a little different than heating with natural gas. The equipment is still a furnace or boiler, but the fuel is a liquid that is stored in a tank, not a gas that is delivered through a pipeline. Fuel oil is typically delivered at the start of each heating season, and then as needed throughout the winter. It is not measured on a month-to-month basis the way natural gas, water, and electricity may be. The Jones family signed their Energy Conservation Contract in January, and because of their energy-saving behaviors, they did not need fuel oil for their boiler the rest of that winter. Mrs. Jones arranged for the tank to be filled in September so they would be ready if cold weather came early. The tank needed only 100 gallons, not the 225 she was expecting! The heat was on in February, March, and half of April, and they used 125 fewer gallons of fuel oil. Some of the difference in fuel oil consumption could be due to different weather, but some savings is due to the new habits practiced by household members. The cost of heating oil changes throughout the year due to changes in the price of petroleum and the demand for fuel oil. The average price in the 2025-2026 winter was about $3.98 per gallon. Calculate the savings: 1. Amount of fuel oil saved by energy conserving habits: 2. Multiply that number of gallons by $3.98. This is the difference in price.

125 gallons $

For each gallon of heating oil burned, 22.5 pounds of carbon dioxide is given off. Next calculate the emissions prevented by not burning 125 gallons of heating oil: 3. Amount of fuel oil saved by energy-conserving habits: 4. Multiply that number of gallons by 22.5:

125 gallons lbs. CO2

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Electricity

U.S. Electricity Generation by Source, 2025

Electricity is the second most commonly used energy source for heating homes. It is also used in every house to power appliances, light rooms, cool the house with fans or air conditioners, and run electronic devices we have. Many different energy sources are used to make electricity in the United States. Most electricity in the United States comes from natural gas power plants, followed by nuclear power, coal, and wind energy. The sources used to make your electricity depend on what is available in your area and what your electric utility chooses to use. The utilities in some states use more fossil fuels, some use more nuclear power, and some use as many renewable sources as they can. No single energy source is better than another for generating electricity; they all have benefits and drawbacks.

BIOMASS, GEOTHERMAL, & OTHER FUELS

HYDROPOWER

5.5%

2.0%

SOLAR

6.5%

NATURAL GAS

40.8%

WIND

10.5%

NUCLEAR POWER

COAL

16.6%

Electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours. This is a combination of the power, in watts, and the amount of time, in hours, that a device is using to operate. If a device uses 1,000 watts and runs for one hour, it uses one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity. Some common household items that use about 1,000 watts include a toaster, microwave, coffee maker, and hair dryer. If you ran any of these items for one hour, it would use about one kilowatt-hour of electricity. Your electric utility company charges you for every kilowatt-hour of electricity your household uses. In 2024, the average American family used 863 kilowatt-hours every month.

17.7%

Data: EIA *Total may not equal 100% due to independent rounding

The Patel Family made some changes after conducting a Home Energy Assessment. They decided to use more daylighting, watch less TV, and lower their thermostat from 72°F to 69°F for the rest of the winter. After one month, when going to pay the electric bill, Mr. Patel discovered that they used 76 kWh less than the previous month. Some of this difference could be due to different weather, but some savings is due to the new habits practiced by household members. The cost of electricity is very different from one state to the next, and it depends on the energy sources used to generate electricity. The national average for residential customers in 2025 was a little over 17 cents per kilowatthour. Your teacher might provide you with the average price for your state, the price charged by your local utility, or instruct you to use the national average price. 1. Electricity saved with good conservation habits:

76 kWh

2. One kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity costs

3. Multiply step 1 by step 2. This is the difference in the amount of money you spent on electricity as a household.

76 kWh

5. One kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity costs

lbs. CO2

6. Multiply line 4 by line 5. This is the amount of carbon dioxide they kept from being emitted into the atmosphere.

lbs. CO2

Think about the results the Rodrigues, Jones, and Patel households achieved by changing their habits. 1. Which family do you think had the biggest impact on their household budget? On their carbon footprint?

2. What do you think would happen if a family using natural gas or fuel oil for heating also made changes in their electricity use?

Energy Conservation Contract

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Youth AWards Program for Energy Achievement

Youth Energy Conference & Awards

NEED’s annual Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement rewards students for their efforts in energy outreach and student leadership.

The NEED Youth Energy Conference and Awards gives students more opportunities to learn about energy and to explore energy in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

The Youth Awards Program is great for all schools—new to energy education, or veteran. Projects and outreach completed for the program provide opportunity for enrichment and engagement, as well as an opportunity for your students, classroom, and school to shine. Youth Awards projects can be completed by afterschool/out-of-school time programs, community groups, and even families!

The annual June conference has students from across the country working in groups on an Energy Challenge designed to stretch their minds and energy knowledge. The conference culminates with the Youth Awards Ceremony recognizing student work throughout the year and during the conference. For More Info: www.NEED.org/youthenergyconference

What’s involved? Students and teachers set goals and objectives and keep a record of their activities. Students create a digital project to submit for judging. In April, digital projects are uploaded to the online submission site.

Check out: For more information and project submission details, we invite you to visit https://youthawards.NEED.org. Be sure to explore the site to view past winning projects and garner inspiration!

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Looking for more energy information and resources? Check out the “Student” section of NEED’s website for great energy information and resources, including our graphics library, science fair project ideas, video clips, our Energy Infosheets, and much more!

Visit www.NEED.org/NEED-students

URANIUM A T A GLANCE

WHAT IS UR

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WHAT IS NU

URANIUM FU

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Uranium pr ov consumed ided 8.50 percent of in the Unite al d States in l energy 2022.

The steps— from mining the uranium disposal—a ore, through re called the its use in a nucl uranium fuel ear reactor, cycle

to its

TOP NUCLEA

R STATES

CLEAR ENER

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PENNSYLVA

NIA

ALABAMA

NORTH CAR OLIN

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Energy Conservation Contract Evaluation Form State: ___________

Grade Level: ___________

Number of Students: __________

1. Did you conduct the entire unit?



Yes



2. Were the instructions clear and easy to follow?



Yes



3. Did the activities meet your academic objectives?



Yes



4. Were the activities age appropriate?



Yes



5. Were the allotted times sufficient to conduct the activities?



Yes



6. Were the activities easy to use?



Yes



7. Was the preparation required acceptable for the activities?



Yes



8. Were the students interested and motivated?



Yes



9. Was the energy knowledge content age appropriate?



Yes



10. Would you teach this unit again? Please explain any ‘no’ statement below



Yes



How would you rate the unit overall?



excellent



good



fair



poor

How would your students rate the unit overall?



excellent



good



fair



poor

What would make the unit more useful to you?

Other Comments:

Please fax or mail to: The NEED Project

8408 Kao Circle FAX: 1-800-847-1820 Manassas, VA 20110 Email: info@need.org

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