For many parents the school holidays mean some quality time with the family. Whether you're hitting the road or staying home, here are some simple tips for managing your energy use over the school holidays.

View the information on this page as an infographic.

Manage your energy use the easy way

If you've got kids at home during the holidays, you can keep a check on power-heavy appliances by making a few small changes:

• Use multi-point power boards to supply your home entertainment devices. This makes it really easy to turn them all off at the wall when you're not using them.
• Consider using a remote controlled power outlet, which allows you to turn your TV and other appliances on and off remotely, saving you time, effort and money. You can purchase these from around $13 from hardware stores.

Entertainment – without the cost

The school holidays are a great opportunity for the kids to take a break from the screens and be outdoors. If you're stuck for ideas, you could try some of the following:

• Get kids and their friends together for outdoor activities like a game of soccer.
• Grab the bikes or scooters and hit the pavement for a family ride.
• Involve the kids in gardening – they’ll love getting their hands dirty and seeing things grow.

Take advantage of local activities

• Visit the library to get the kids out of the house and onto a new and exciting adventure with a good book. Many libraries also run great school holiday programs.
• Take the kids for a picnic or enjoy a bush walk in one of our beautiful national parks.
• Drop a line and go fishing! Queensland’s inlets, beaches and waterways have some of the best fishing around.

Going away

If you’re going away over the holidays, you can save on energy costs by taking a few simple steps:

• Turn your appliances off at the wall to save on standby power.
• Switch off the second fridge – if it’s only used for keeping drinks cool, it’s an easy way to save while you’re away.
• Put a light inside your home on a timer so it looks like someone is home.

More information

For more information on understanding and managing your home energy use, see our other home energy tips.