That's the idea behind a new energy conservation campaign sponsored by Energy Star, the national program that promotes energy efficiency.

The campaign runs through the rest of the year and is aimed at spreading the news about the remarkable energy savings that can be obtained by using compact fluorescent lights and other lighting products that carry the Energy Star label. Replace a light in your home with an Energy Star labeled lighting production and you'll save energy and money while helping the environment.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs use less than one quarter of the energy that standard incandescent bulbs do, and they'll last as much as ten times longer. You'll save the most money and energy by using them in areas where you keep lights on for the longest periods of time.

The energy Star label is a performance quality symbol that will help you quickly and easily identify home appliances, products and new homes that save energy. There are currently 31 types of energy Star labeled products. Energy Star is a joint effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. It offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions, helping to save money while protecting the environment for future generations.

For more about Energy Star products and programs, visit www.energystar.gov.

We're proud of the quality of the power we deliver to our customers, but sometimes being good just isn't good enough.

One lightning strike or electrical surge could destroy your computer, TV, stereo or appliances. That's why we've introduced SurgeSentinel, a new whole-house surge protection program that keeps unwanted surges from damaging or destroying sensitive equipment.

Surge Sentinel comes in two levels of protections.  An external, whole-house surge protector installed on your meter (Level 1) protects all electro-mechanical devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners and stoves. Level 2 also protects sensitive electronic equipment from damage.

Surge Sentinel is available to residential customers who are homeowners. For more information, click here or call us at 702-6006.

All women are at risk of developing breast cancer, and that risk increases with age.

Early detection is the best protection. Women age 40 or older should ask their healthcare provider about breast cancer screening, including yearly clinical breast exams and mammograms and monthly self-examinations.

Women under 40 should see their healthcare provider every year for a clinical breast exam and perform monthly sel-examinations. When detected early, the survival rate for breast cancer is very high.

Encourage the women in your life to get breast cancer screening. For information about free breast screening and mammograms for qualified women over the age of 40, call the Ingham County Health Department at 887-4364.
 

If you'd like to know about where energy in your home is used, we have a  program that can help.

The BWL's Residential Calculator will show you how much energy you probably use for heating, cooling, washing clothes and other home uses.  And, it can show you where you can save money by making typical modifications.

Click here to see how it works.  You'll find lots of other interesting information there also, including electrical safety tips and some electricity fundamentals on how the electric utility industry generates and delivers power to its customers.
 

BWL electric customers now have the option of having their monthly energy needs served by "green" power.

GreenWise Electric Power from the BWL is environmentally friendly energy produced from renewable resources. Currently, our GreenWise energy portfolio includes electricity produced from landfill gas from the Granger Company's Wood Road landfill in Lansing, and from two small hydroelectric facilities.

GreenWise Electric Power is available in blocks of 250 kilowatt-hours (KWH) per month, with each block adding $7.50 to your monthly electric bill. One block of GreenWise Electric Power meets about half the monthly energy needs of our average residential customer.

All our GreenWise customers receive a handsome sticker for their door or window identifying them as program participants. For more information about GreenWise Electric Power, click here, or call us at 702-6006.