As an energy conservation consultant, if I had a compact florescent light bulb for every time a client told me that children are their barrier to energy efficiency, I could replace the sun, (with 75% less heat of course). But still, in my own younger days I remember rolling my eyes at Dad's silly suggestion that I turn a light off after I left the room. Like many things in life, saving energy can be difficult to grasp when you are not the one writing the checks. Since the law currently requires we support our children until age 18, I produced the following set of ideas for inspiring our children to save energy.

Bribe them. (You didn't think it was going to be free, did you?)

Do you like your job? I love mine - but I wouldn't do it for free! How can we expect our children to understand the value of a dollar spent on electricity if they have never earned a paycheck themselves? Children can be very responsive to different types of motivation. Why not show your children the utility bills and set goals as a family to reduce energy use. Set monthly goals with smaller rewards like going out to a favorite restaurant or seeing a movie and larger ones over the course of the year like a trip to the waterpark or a Wii. The lessons learned from the benefits of achieving goals span far beyond the realm of energy savings. Be careful to focus on positive rewards; taking away something the children expect to have will only build resentment toward the entire objective.

Appoint an energy czar.

Whether you look at the entire planet or your own family, one of the most common difficulties in reducing energy use is a lack of accountability. It is easy to forget our own personal impact when it becomes diluted with many others'. By appointing one of your children as the leader of the family's environmental movement, not only will she want to provide a good example, but she can serve as motivator and reminder for us when we lose focus. In exchange for the added responsibility, your leader should gain an additional benefit from the success of the group. Remember to choose your czar wisely, dictatorships often fail!

Encourage creativity.

It should come as no surprise that our children see the world differently and are often more creative than we could imagine being. Encourage yours to come up with new ways to conserve energy. After all, while it may have been ourselves and those before us that have created the environmental problems of today, I have no doubt it will be the creativity and ingenuity of our children that will one day save this planet.

Hire a research assistant.

Are you considering making a major purchase for the home? Ask your children for assistance in choosing the most efficient model. Being a part of large decisions in your household will give your children a feeling of importance and respect. Also, teenagers are often quite discriminating consumers and may even be better equipped to understand the technological differences between models. If the child helps choosing an appliance, it is more likely he will treat it with greater care and use it more efficiently to justify his recommendation. As much as possible, involve the entire family in energy saving decisions. The sensitivity they develop during these projects will permeate to other settings throughout the home.

Show them the money!

Every parent knows that from a young age children are receptive to dollars and cents. If your family takes efforts to lower utility bills and it works, make a big deal out of it! Show the children how much money you saved and how happy it makes you. An occasional reminder that lights, hot water, and thermostats are not free may be all your children need to appreciate their value.

Good luck and have fun, their world is depending on it!