The Austin Chronicle is working with Austin Energy to create a citywide Kill-a-Watt Challenge. Sign up and Austin Energy will compare the amount of electricity you use each month this summer (June through September) to the amount used on the premises last year. Whoever drops their energy use the most compared to last summer – proportional to what they were using to begin with – wins. There are countless ways to save electricity, from turning off the lights when you leave the room to setting your thermostat at 85 degrees when you’re away, and you can read about them (along with special tips for renters and low-income Austinites) on the Kill-a-Watt Challenge website.
There will be both monthly and overall-summer prizes for homeowners, residential renters, and businesses. Plus, Austin Energy will calculating your energy savings on a neighborhood basis with prizes at that level as well.
Visit the link above for rules, registration, tips, ongoing updates, and resources (including the Quick Guide to Free Stuff). And don’t forget to check back in mid-July, once all of June’s kilowatt data has been been tallied.
