Good news for customers who prefer to conduct their business over the Internet!

Online billing is coming soon to the Board of Water & Light. We’re teaming up with a leading provider of electronic services and products to bring this new, free service to our customers.

When it’s up and running you’ll have access to a secure Web site to view your BWL utility bill anytime, anywhere you can get on the Internet. You’ll also be able to use the site to view your billing history for up to six months. You can make payments over the Internet on a monthly basis through your credit card or checking account, or authorize automatic payments through your checking account on an ongoing basis.

Your options won’t be limited to paying just your BWL bill, either. You’ll be able to use the site to pay a whole array of bills over the Internet.

Our new online billing service is currently going through its final testing phase, and we’ll be offering it for use soon. Look for more details in future Connections.

So you recycle, you compost your leaves and grass clippings and you even use compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home; but have you considered buying appliances with the Energy Star¨ label?

Buying Energy StarÒ labeled products is an easy way to help protect the environment and save on utility bills. The federal government identifies, through the Energy Star label, which appliances meet guidelines set by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star labeled appliances meet strict energy efficiency criteria without sacrificing performance or design.

The Michigan Energy Star Promotion Project features a store locator that can help consumers identify the closest retail source for a given Energy Star rated product. To access the store locator, visit click here to visit their web site. For more information about Energy Star, contact the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council at 485-9001.

To power that new energy-efficient appliance, how about using environmentally friendly electricity?

If you’re a BWL electric customer, you can do that through our GreenWise Electric Power Program. This unique program is designed to meet the needs of our customers who prefer that their electricity come from renewable resources, such as water, wind, or biomass-produced gas.

GreenWise Electric Power comes in blocks of 250 kilowatt-hours per month, with each block of purchased energy adding $7.50 to your monthly bill. Each block is enough to meet about half the monthly needs of our average residential customer.

Our GreenWise power supply comes from two small hydroelectric dams in upper Michigan, and from electricity powered by methane gas at the Granger Company’s Wood Road Landfill right here in Lansing.

Your participation can make a difference. Over three years, each block of GreenWise Electric Power will displace an equivalent amount of electricity produced from 4.5 tons of coal. Estimated emission reductions include 120 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 48 pounds of nitrogen oxide, and 18,000 pounds of carbon dioxide that would be produced from traditional coal-fired power plants.

For more information, call us at 702-6006 or click here.

A lot of people choose fall to plant new trees and shrubs.

If that’s on your agenda, keep in mind the utility services that could be overhead or under your feet. Before planting, call Miss Dig at 1-800-482-7171. This free service will locate and mark all underground utilities on your property so you won’t accidentally dig into them. Always call Miss Dig at least three full working days before you dig.

Make sure you choose a species and planting location carefully, keeping in mind any overhead utilities. Generally, small trees that will grow to less than 30 feet should be planted at least 15 feet from overhead utilities. Medium trees under 60 feet tall should be kept 35 feet from utility lines, and large trees need to be planted at least 45 feet away.

For more information about tree safety, click here.

The Youth Development Corporation is gearing up for its fourth annual Road Rally, on October 11.

Rally participants compete to solve clues, with the answers following the mystery route to its final destination. Drivers are charged $25 and each passenger $15 to participate. The fee includes a Turkeyman barbecue dinner and Silent Auction following the Rally. Dinner and Silent Auction tickets can be purchased separately for $10.

Proceeds from the Rally support Youth Development Corporation’s middle school mentoring and employment services for 16- to 21-year-olds.

For more information, dinner tickets, or registration forms, call the YDC office at 482-2081. Businesses or individuals wishing to donate items may call that number also.

Members of the Westside Neighborhood Association will proudly display eight beautifully decorated homes and the historic Main Street School during the group’s ninth annual Home Tour Sunday, October 12.

Lansing’s Westside Neighborhood features more than 1,700 homes of various architectural styles, ranging from Arts and Crafts and English Cottage to Bungalow. Tickets for the tour cost $15 and proceeds benefit Advent House Ministries and the Westside Neighborhood Association. You can get advance tickets from Advent House by calling them at 485-4722. On the day of the event, you can also buy tour tickets at Fire Station #7 at the corner of Saginaw and Jenison streets.

The Westside Home Tour runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.