More EnergySmart News...

This ran in today's Commercial Appeal While the story focuses on CFLs, keep in mind the number one way to reduce your utility bill is to follow our recommended thermostat settings of 68 (or lower) in the winter and 78 (or higher) in the summer....

MLGW employees show customers simple ways to cut their utility bills
By Daniel Connolly

When Charles Echols shares tips on saving energy, he's usually speaking to small groups.

But on Wednesday, the 52-year-old stood on stage at the Orpheum in front of hundreds at an event organized by Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division.

"Today was different," Echols said, adding that he was glad to have a chance to have an impact on so many people. "It was kind of a nervous situation."

That's because utility bills can be a monthly blow for Memphians living in older, drafty homes. Residents who use stoves to heat homes that lack working furnaces, for example, may incur hundreds of dollars in energy expenses.

Wednesday's event, which offered tips on how to save money and chances to score free goodies, was part of the EnergySmart Memphis Initiative.

Tennessee Valley Authority, which supplies electricity to MLGW, provided 1,250 free energy-saving kits, including caulk and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Several other prizes were also given away.

TVA spokesman Gil Francis said helping customers save money is the right thing to do, and that if they use less energy, the utility can build fewer power plants, which reduces everyone's costs.

Some audience members were specially invited to the program because of their high utility bills, said MLGW president Jerry Collins, who successfully campaigned for a city ordinance requiring landlords to maintain minimum energy-efficiency standards.

And while MLGW gets less money when people buy less energy, it's the best thing for customers, he said.

"As I've mentioned many times, the overall principle is to always do what's in the customers' interest," Collins said.

Along with other MLGW staffers, Collins wore a red shirt with the slogan "Helping you reduce your energy costs." He moderated the event, which resembled a combination of a school assembly and a game show.

As a camera projected his actions onto a big screen behind him, Echols showed how to replace broken panes of glass in windows and how to use plastic sealant to reduce heat leakage around windows.

Then he pulled out a power meter strip that showed the energy use of five light bulbs -- one conventional bulb and four compact fluorescent ones. Total energy used by the four fluorescent bulbs was less than the conventional 60-watt one.

"So change those bulbs out!" Echols said.

One consumer who walked away impressed was Susan Ferancy, 43, who lives in Bartlett with her husband, daughter and a friend. She said she already uses some energy-efficient light bulbs, but plans to use even more.

"I saw today the real importance of changing all of them in my home," she said.

-- Daniel Connolly: 529-5296

Energy Events

On Friday, MLGW employees will be giving away fluorescent light bulbs and other energy-saving tools at Exxon stations in the Memphis area.

You can schedule Charles Echols or another energy- savings specialist to speak to a local group or even inspect your home for personalized energy advice. Call 528-4188.