Most of us would go to great lengths to save money. But what if there was an easy way to do just that?

Our energy efficiency and conservation program, Conserve101, challenges our members to save 101 kilowatt-hours of electricity every month, which could significantly reduce your monthly power bill. And the best news is that it requires very little work on your part. There are several easy ways to cut your energy use. Conserve101 focuses on the methods that will be least intrusive to your lifestyle, and it doesn’t require expensive equipment or installation. All it takes is changing some very basic habits.

Many members do not realize their ‘normal’ energy practices are conducive to energy waste. For example, some devices you think are turned off are actually stealing energy from your home and money from your wallet. Examples of these ‘energy bandits’ are DVD players, cell phone chargers, coffee pots, toasters and computers in stand-by mode. The easiest way to avoid falling victim to energy bandits is to unplug devices when you are not using them.

One of the biggest contributors to your electric bill is your home’s heating and air conditioning system. Learning to use it more efficiently is a great step on the

road to energy conservation. By simply keeping your thermostat five degrees warmer for eight hours a day in the summer and five degrees cooler for eight hours a day in the winter, you can reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 15 percent each month.

As members add more and more electronic devices to their homes, demand for electricity rises, increasing faster than our resources can currently support. This means electric providers will have to increase their generating capacity drastically over the next decade. Unfortunately, as the demand goes up, so does the cost for the fuel needed to generate electricity. As a consumer, you have the power to lower your electric usage each month and help cut energy demand.

The Conserve 101program has three main areas, energy saving tips, a multimedia section with “how to” videos and a resources page linking to other energy efficiency and conservation websites. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to save money and conserve energy. What are you waiting for? Take the Conserve 101 challenge today!