How did they do it? 
Check out each town's winning strategy (pdf).

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.

GROUP RESULTS

• Saved 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.
  
• Switched over 50,000 bulbs to CFLs and distribute hundreds of weatherization kits and energy-saving power strips.
• Installed over 1,000 programmable thermostats and more than 200 energy efficient appliances in their homes.
• Donated 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.

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!

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Kinsley and Quinter

• 75 residents and small businesses took advantage of Midwest Energy's nationally-recognized How$mart energy audit.
  
• 19 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. 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 10 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.
  

Merriam

• Almost 200 residents signed up for KCP&L's Energy Optimizer program that provides free programmable thermostats to participants.
• 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.
  

Salina

• 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.
• Partnered with Westar Energy, whose energy educators worked with the Salina Chamber of Commerce to host an energy savings symposium for local businesses.
  
• Also partnered with Salina Downtown restaurants to host a Valentine's "Lights Out Lunch" to promote energy conservation.

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.