From Earth Day 2012 to Earth Day 2013, two Minnesota families and hundreds of their teammates have been competing in the Family Energy FACE-OFF to see who can save more energy.
This community-based energy competition was 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 (age 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. Participants from across the country choose a family they want to join and then check off actions they have taken to contribute points to their team. You can meet the teams and join at http://faceoff.mncerts.org.
As of April 18, 2013, with only four days remaining in the competition, the teams are very close. The Mill Pond Minimizers with 165 members and 162,075 points are currently ahead of the Prairie Penny Pinchers with 147 members and 136,230 points. What’s at stake? The losing team will pay for one average month’s energy bill for the winners, and the losing team’s Dad will have to shave his head!
A Year of Taking Action at Home
“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 been busy over the last year discovering 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’ve been excited to use this contest to see how much further we can take energy conservation. It’s also helped us 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!”
Little Actions Add Up
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.”
Collectively, Minnesotans have taken nearly 8,000 unique energy-saving actions through this competition. The top five most popular completed actions include:
- Turn off lights at home when no one is in the room for a week (5 pts)
- Turn TV off when no one is watching for a week (10 pts)
- Turn off the water when you brush your teeth (10 pts)
- Grab a sweater instead of turning up the heat for a week (15 pts)
- Use a reusable water bottle with tap water instead of purchased bottled water for a week (15 pts)
Join a Team Before the End of Earth Day!
Watch a short video introducing the teams and the contest, read interviews with both families, see the list of energy-saving actions, and join a team at http://faceoff.mncerts.org.
Who’s Behind the Contest?
The Clean Energy Resource Teams connect you with resources to identify and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. CERTs is made up of community members across Minnesota who share a bold vision for Minnesota’s energy future: to foster strong communities, to create local jobs, and to develop clean and reliable energy from clean sources.
The University of Minnesota, Morris is a nationally recognized sustainability leader and serves as a model community. Its comprehensive strategy combines renewable energy like biomass, wind, and solar with historic building reuse, green building design and construction, conservation, local foods programs, hybrid vehicles, innovative curriculum, and community outreach.
