Maybe it’s the prestige appeal. Maybe it’s the fancy label. Maybe it’s the result of the high- powered marketing campaign. Whatever the reason, we understand that some people simply prefer to drink bottled water. But there are some things we think you should know. One is that tap water from the Board of Water & Light meets standards for quality and purity every bit as rigorous as the standards for bottled water. Another is that BWL tap water tastes great.

 Finally, there’s the matter of value. For the dollar you pay for that one little bottle of fancy water, you get about 400 gallons of BWL drinking water.

 It’s all on tap from the Board of Water & Light.

There are lots of ways to save money on your electric and water bill by using energy- efficient appliances that carry the Energy Star label.

 The Energy Star Label is a performance quality symbol that can help consumers quickly and easily identify home appliances, products and new homes that save energy.  There are currently 31 types of Energy Star–labeled products, so whether homeowners are buying a new refrigerator, clothes washer, windows, or even a new home, they can look for the Energy Star label, a trusted symbol that makes it easy to make a difference.

• Refrigerators: If your refrigerator is 10 years old or older, it uses as much energy as two of today’s Energy Star–labeled refrigerators. More efficient compressors and better insulation have greatly improved the energy performance of new refrigerators.

 • Washing Machines: Energy Star clothes washers save more than 35 percent on water and more than 55 percent on energy.

 For more information about the Energy Star program, call Urban Options at 337-0422. Or visit the Energy Star Web site at www.energystar.org to find a list of products and manufacturers, and other home energy information.

If you have a driver’s license, a little free time and the willingness to help some folks in need, the American Cancer Society wants to hear from you.

The Cancer Society’s Road To Recovery program is looking for volunteers to drive cancer patients to their treatments or other related appointments. The local chapter has bought a van to help accommodate the growing number of patients who need this program, but they’re still short of drivers.

The van operates nine to ten hours a day, five days a week, and travels in Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties.

Attention, chiliheads! We’ve got a date and a proposition you’ll want to check out.

 The date is Friday, June 15, when the BWL’s Greater Lansing Down-By-The-River Chili Cook-Off celebrates its sixth year on the banks of the Grand River next to the Lansing Center. Two dozen restaurants and organizations will be serving their finest chili concoctions from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. A $5 pass lets you sample all the chili you can eat while listening to the equally hot music of the Mike Espy Blues Band. All proceeds from the Chili Cook-Off support the Adopt A River program.

Now for the proposition. As in past years, we’ll hand out a number of trophies awarded by our judges. Unlike past years, we’re forming an extra panel of judges just to taste and rate chilis competing for our More Hotter, More Better trophy. As the name implies, this trophy is awarded to the chili with the best combination of taste and fiery heat. Included on this special panel will be two BWL customers with good taste, strong opinions and ironclad stomachs.

 Obviously this isn’t a job for everyone.  But if you’re a dedicated chilihead and would like to be one of our judges, just e-mail John Strickler at jds@lbwl.com an essay of 30 words or less explaining why you’d make a great candidate for our special More Hotter, More Better chili judging panel. E-mail it to John before May 15 and he will throw your name into the hat when we pick two winners.