Kansans have proved that energy efficiency works - in small towns and large, rural and urban, and with every kind of utility - and that small individual actions can make an enormous difference.

Merriam, KS and Quinter, KS officially won the Challenge but every participating community - including Kinsley, Mount Hope/Haven, Salina, and Wellington - saved energy, saved money, and demonstrated that community spirit and pride are still alive and well in the Heartland.

Merriam took the grand prize for the most kilowatt hours saved during the Challenge year, reducing the city's residential energy usage over 5%. Quinter locked in the greatest long-term savings per capita (over 200 kWh per person) by installing measures like efficient light bulbs, thermostats, and whole-home efficiency improvements.

The winners will receive a school wind turbine, solar panels for a civic building, or cash toward a civic energy efficiency project.

Residents and businesses in all six communities switched light bulbs, weatherized, installed programmable thermostats, traded in old appliances for more energy efficient ones, and signed up for weatherization programs and audits.

Together, these Kansas towns managed to:

- Save over 6 million kilowatt hours of electricity during the Challenge year (April '09-April '10) and take measures that locked in future savings of over 7 million kilowatt hours per year.
- Switch over 50,000 bulbs to CFLs and distribute hundreds of weatherization kits and energy-saving power strips.
- Install over 1,000 programmable thermostats and more than 200 energy efficient appliances in their homes.
- Donate a remarkable 2,600 hours volunteer time to host 65 community events promoting energy efficiency and conservation that were attended by over 11,000 people.

"Congratulations to Merriam and Quinter - and to Kinsley, Mount Hope/Haven, Salina, and Wellington. In our eyes, every one of these towns is a winner!" said Nancy Jackson, Executive Director of the Climate and Energy Project. "Leadership teams, Boy Scouts, Chambers of Commerce, schools - all inspired us with their ingenuity and dedication. Kansans proved that efficiency works."

Salina-based Philips Lighting developed and donated their heavily visited website, takechargekansas.org, to track the lighting switch effort, as well as 500 bulbs to each community.  Take Charge participants changed 51,951 bulbs to energy efficient CFLs, saving $434,232 in avoided energy costs from lighting switches alone!

Each town employed a unique approach to slashing energy bills in their bid to win the Take Charge Challenge:

In Kinsley and Quinter, seventy-five residents and small businesses took advantage of Midwest Energy's nationally-recognized How$mart energy audit. Nineteen have completed whole-home improvements, with more to come. On average, How$mart improvements result in annual savings of 2100 kWh per customer, which would save a typical family between $150-$200/yr.  Quinter also led the pack on lightbulbs per capita, with over 2,400 bulb switches - enough to light 122 of their neighbors' homes for a full year! Kinsley residents rolled out the federal Weatherization Assistance Program in their city, and claimed the highest number of weatherization sign-ups per capita.

Mount Hope and Haven participated in the Kansas Power Pool's new appliance rebate program. KPP rewards customers for replacing their old air conditioners and refrigerators with new energy-efficient ones.  In Mount Hope/Haven, 34 rebates were redeemed for more than 34,000 in kWh savings.  By replacing old appliances, these residents will save a combined $7,000 on their electricity bills this year.  The elementary schools also hosted "Energy Bandits" skits where students learned about appliances that "steal" energy even when they're off, and received powerstrips to battle these bandits.

Wellington also worked with KPP to encourage residents to switch to energy efficient CFL bulbs, changing more than 11,000 light bulbs.  Wellington City utility staff provided 56 free home energy audits, and helped ten of the city's businesses and churches identify energy-saving opportunities.  Also, residents redeemed 78 rebates for new energy-efficient appliances through Kansas Power Pool.  These efforts will save Wellington citizens over $60,000 in avoided energy costs. "The beauty of the Take Charge Challenge - everyone involved saved money by saving energy, and Wellington also had a great chance to join together as a community.  It was only a one year competition, but I can already tell that it will have a lasting impact on our city," said Keala Timko, Wellington Leadership Team.

In Merriam, almost 200 residents signed up for KCP&L's Energy Optimizer program that provides free programmable thermostats to participants, and 129 residents have replaced their old air conditioners through KCP&L's Cool Homes rebate program.  Merriam businesses have taken advantage of KCP&Ls commercial retrofit rebates, saving 166,000 kWh.    By switching bulbs and participating in KCP&L's programs, Merriam residents have already saved 662,000 kWh, saving their community $60,000. "Merriam is very excited that we were able to beat out some very competitive Kansas communities to win the Take Charge Challenge.  I believe our win was made possible by the dedication of our residents, local businesses, community leaders, and governing body," said Elliot Lahn, Planner Community Development for the City of Merriam.

Salina partnered with Westar Energy, whose energy educators worked with the Salina Chamber of Commerce to host an energy savings symposium for local businesses. They also partnered with Salina Downtown restaurants to host a Valentine's "Lights Out Lunch" to promote energy conservation. Westar's new programmable thermostat program, WattSaver, rolled out at the Salina Home Show in February, and within two months, over 830 Salina residents signed up. Each programmable thermostat can save an average family $150-$200/yr. Over the holidays, the Boy Scouts also delivered hundreds of weatherization kits.

CEP extends special thanks to our partner utilities - Kansas City Power & Light, Kansas Power Pool and member municipals, Midwest Energy, and Westar Energy - and to Phillips Lighting for their unique contributions.

For more information, contact:

Merriam and Salina:  Eileen Horn, eileen.horn@gmail.com, (913) 708-3929
Merriam: Carol Sivils, KCP&L, carol.sivils@kcpl.com, (816) 556-2263
Salina:  Gina Penzig, Westar Energy, gina.penzig@westarenergy.com, (785) 640-9970
Mount Hope/Haven, Wellington, Quinter, Kinsley:  Dorothy Barnett,
Barnett@climateandenergy.org, (785)- 424-0444
Mount Hope/Haven, Wellington: Colin Whitley, Kansas Power Pool,
cwhitley@kansaspowerpool.org, (316) 264-3166
Quinter & Kinsley:  Michael Volker, Midwest Energy, mvolker@mwenergy.com, (785) 625-1476