From Earth Day 2012 to Earth Day 2013, two Minnesota families and hundreds of their teammates are competing in the Family Energy FACE-OFF to see who can save more energy. This new community-based energy competition has been launched in a partnership between the Minnesota-based, Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) and the University of Minnesota, Morris, Office of Sustainability.
The two teams are the Mill Pond Minimizers, led by Jeff Vetsch, Anne Dybsetter, and their children Henry (5) and Hazel (2) from New London, MN; and the Prairie Penny Pinchers, led by Troy, Jenn, and Ely (4) Goodnough from Morris, MN. The families are pitted against each other, taking actions to conserve energy and resources in their homes, and extending the competition to their communities and networks.
Anyone can take action, earn points, and contribute them to their favorite team. Participants choose a family they want to join and then check off actions they’ve taken—like turning off lights and appliances when they’re not in use, combining trips to save fuel, switching in more efficient light bulbs, and adding insulation to walls and attics. Participants earn points for each of the 53 actions to help their team win.
“The FACE-OFF encourages families to work together to save energy at home and builds a sense of community,” said Dan Thiede, Communications Manager with CERTs. “Most people will be surprised to find that they’re already doing many of the things on the list of actions, and will get a lot more ideas about how they can save energy and money. And they’ll naturally want to share their success with others!”
The families have already started to discover new ways to save. When asked why he was taking part in the FACE-OFF, Jeff Vetsch of the Mill Pond Minimizers responded, “We enjoy being energy efficient, but that’s not to say we’ve done all that can be done. We’re excited about using this contest to see how much further we can take energy conservation. We’re also eager to get our children involved and teach them energy conservation habits at a young age.” As Jeff said this, his five-year-old son Henry reached up for the light switch and turned it off.
But Henry is not alone. Four-year-old Ely Goodnough of the Prairie Penny Pinchers knows exactly why his family saves energy: “It’s not just about saving the planet, it’s about saving for college.” His parents may have had something to do with that idea. Ely’s Mom, Jenn Goodnough , added, “And I sure like to win!”
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To keep the momentum going, every two months the families will share actions to save energy during that part of the year with the public and their teammates:
- May 2012: Electricity
- June-July 2012: Cooling
- August-September 2012: Transportation
- October-November 2012: Heating
- December 2012-January 2013: Water Conservation
- February-March 2013: Waste Reduction
- April 2013: Electricity
The energy-saving actions in the FACE-OFF are adapted from a game developed by Cool Choices, a nonprofit that inspires and assists individuals, communities, and businesses to achieve meaningful reductions in energy use through voluntary action.
“Initiatives like the Family Energy FACE-OFF work because they are fun and positive. Most of us try to do our part but still miss opportunities to save money. By showcasing the amazing things others are doing, this effort can encourage everyone to do more,” notes Kathy Kuntz, Executive Director of Cool Choices. “We salute all of these incremental steps because, as we like to say, little actions add up.”
Meet the Teams and Join!
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