Using Energy and Meter Reading Using Energy Lesson Overview Using Energy This lesson helps Girl Scouts understand how we use energy every day in our lives and how to read an electric meter. Someone from Consumers Energy may be available to come to your troop meeting and conduct a brief presentation on energy use and conservation. For more information, send an e-mail to education@consumersenergy.com. However, if someone is not available, here are some things for the leader to know before beginning this assignment. Things for the Leader to Know Make sure scouts understand that energy costs money. Using energy efficiently may result in paying less for energy. Energy use is measured using a gas or electric meter, which is usually found on the outside of your home (some are inside homes). Materials Needed for the Lesson Copy of How Electricity Gets to Your Home Copy of How Natural Gas Gets to Your Home Copies of Home Energy Use Practice Sheet Simple calculators Procedures Review with the Girl Scouts How Electricity Gets to Your Home and How Natural Gas Gets to Your Home diagrams. Ask the troops: 1. Guess when we use the most electricity in Michigan, summer or winter? Answer: Summer 2. Why do we use more electricity in the summer than the winter? Answer: Air conditioning and fans are used more, and they run on electricity. Also, school is not in session resulting in a greater use of TVs, computers, etc. throughout the day. 3. Guess when we use the most natural gas in Michigan, summer or winter? Answer: Winter 4. Why do we use more natural gas in the winter than we do in the summer? Answer: This is the season when furnaces are used more often, and most furnaces in our state use natural gas.
5. How can we use electricity or natural gas more wisely in our homes? Answer: Turn off the lights, TV, etc. when you re not using them, dial down the thermostat 2 or 3 degrees in the winter, etc. Distribute the Home Energy Use Practice Sheet and help the scouts complete the formulas for some of the appliances. While each individual appliance may not cost that much per day or week, if you add up the costs for each one, it may be very expensive! Once the work sheet is completed, have the scouts talk about each appliance and list ways that they can conserve energy. Discuss their ideas and have them take this sheet home and try to incorporate their conservation ideas with their family.
HOW ELECTRICITY GETS TO YOUR HOME
Meter Reading Lesson Overview Meter Reading This lesson helps Girl Scouts understand how meters are read to determine how much energy has been used. Someone from Consumers Energy may be available to come to your troop meeting and conduct a brief presentation on meter reading. For more information, send an e-mail to education@consumersenergy.com. However, if someone is not available, here are some things for the leader to know before beginning this assignment. Things for the Leader to Know The meter reads show how many kilowatt hours of electricity have been used. A kilowatt hour is equal to 1,000 watts. Employees who read meters for Consumers Energy have an interesting and sometimes hazardous job. They log many miles of walking each day as they travel from home to home on their meter reading route. They also must watch out for dogs that may hurt them and things lying in a customer s yard that could be a tripping hazard. Materials Needed for the Lesson Copies of the Home Electric Usage Scenario document (one copy may be shared). Copies of the Meter Reading work sheet (one per Scout or one may be shared within a small group) and the answer key. Simple calculators Procedures Review the rules for reading a meter, which are listed on the Meter Reading Cards sheet. Fill in the Meter Reading work sheet using the data on the Meter Reading Cards sheet. This will show a sample of electric use between Monday and Sunday. After all the blank lines are filled in for each day, check the answers using the answer key. Once you have determined that all the answers are correct, ask the scouts to begin subtracting the five digit numbers beginning with days one and two (Monday and Tuesday). Subtract the day one number from the day two number and write the difference on the brackets outside of each day. Do this again for days two and three and so on. Compare the answers to the answer key. Explain that these numbers represent how many kilowatt hours were used each day. Note that the number increased significantly on days six and seven (Saturday and Sunday). Ask the scouts to consider why this happened and what they could do to reduce the numbers.
Meter Reading Worksheet Monday Tuesday kw difference from previous day: Wednesday kw difference from previous day: Thursday kw difference from previous day: Friday kw difference from previous day: Saturday kw difference from previous day: Sunday kw difference from previous day: Directions: 1. Read the dials on the meter for Monday Sunday. Following the instructions, write down the readings on this sheet. Instructions: if the dial is between two numbers, choose the smaller number. If it s between 9 and 0, choose 9. 2. Subtract the difference for each day. For example, subtract Monday s meter reading from Tuesdays, then Tuesdays from Wednesdays and so on. Write down the difference in the space above each set of meters. These numbers represent how many kilowatts of electricity were used each day 3. Note the differences between the numbers for Monday through Friday and the numbers for Saturday and Sunday. Answer these questions: Why are the numbers higher on Saturday and Sunday than on previous days? What could the people living in the home do to reduce this difference?
Meter Reading Worksheet *** Answer Key *** Monday Tuesday kw difference from previous day: 26 Wednesday kw difference from previous day: 30 1 1 5 7 1 1 1 5 9 7 1 1 6 2 7 Thursday kw difference from previous day: 23 Friday kw difference from previous day: 28 Saturday kw difference from previous day: 56 1 1 6 5 0 1 1 6 7 8 1 1 7 3 4 Sunday kw difference from previous day: 53 1 1 7 8 7 Directions: 4. Read the dials on the meter for Monday Sunday. Following the instructions, write down the readings on this sheet. Instructions: if the dial is between two numbers, choose the smaller number. If it s between 9 and 0, choose 9. 5. Subtract the difference for each day. For example, subtract Monday s meter reading from Tuesdays, then Tuesdays from Wednesdays and so on. Write down the difference in the space above each set of meters. These numbers represent how many kilowatts of electricity were used each day 6. Note the differences between the numbers for Monday through Friday and the numbers for Saturday and Sunday. Answer these questions: Why are the numbers higher on Saturday and Sunday than on previous days? What could the people living in the home do to reduce this difference?