The Smallest User

Last night, the first in a series of stories aired on Channel 5 that highlights a new energy conservation program that MLGW is co-sponsoring. The initiative will show residential and business customers how to reduce their energy consumption.

Next month, MLGW, TVA, the University of Memphis and others will kick off a year-long competition between the Evergreen and Cooper Young neighborhoods designed to reduce energy usage for 2010. Based on the hit television show “The Biggest Loser”, the campaign is called “The Smallest User."

Throughout 2010, regular segments will air on Action News 5 that shows customers how to conserve energy and how these two neighborhoods are doing in the competition. The neighborhood that has the biggest savings will be declared the winner.

We will be posting updates about “The Smallest User” program throughout 2010.

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MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - "The Biggest Loser" is one of NBC's most popular reality shows. Now, MLGW is bringing a similar match up to the Mid-South in the form of an energy competition between two neighborhoods.

"We thought this would be an innovative, fun, creative way to get the two neighborhoods together to duke it out," said MLGW's Tom Chamberlain. "See which can reduce energy the most."

It's called "The Smallest User," and residents who are a part of the Cooper Young Development Corporation and Evergreen Historic Neighborhood Association will compete.

MLGW will add up all the power bills from the two communities and will monitor utility usage in both neighborhoods for 12 months in 2010. The winner is the community that makes the most reduction in utility usage from 2008.

"As we start 2010, each month we'll get results for that particular month," Chamberlain said. We'll compare that to the month from 2008 to see if there is a reduction."

Katy Leopard will represent the Evergreen Neighborhood in the competition. She says huge electric bills can be overwhelming.

"It's two or three hundred dollars and then we can have a big month in the winter or summer where it'll peak at four (hundred)," she said.

MLGW is already offering Leopard and her family tips on how to save. - tips MLGW officials hope will help raise awareness when it comes to energy conservation.

The competition will begin on January 1st. The winning neighborhood will receive a trophy and small cash prize.