As finite resources like clean water and nonrenewable energy become scarce, utilities will need to devise ways to encourage and engender conservation measures. Although it seems a bit backward at first, utilities represent the best advocates for conservation. A unit of energy saved is cheaper than a unit of energy produced. For every watt of energy consumed by the end user, somewhere between five and twenty watts are “lost” upstream. For the end user (down stream) like a consumer in the home, every watt they don’t use equates to 5-25 watts saved or not-produced upstream (from mining the coal to transporting it to producing the product – electricity – which will be sold downstream).  The greatest offenders are coal powered incandescent bulbs. Coal remains an inefficient energy source (with more than two-thirds of the energy stored in coal dissipating to the atmosphere when combusted) and incandescent bulbs take a majority of the energy (roughly 95%) and turn it into heat, not light.

Xcel Energy has been promoting their conservation program “Responsible by Nature” with its slogan “Unplugged is the new off”, referring to phantom loads which draw power from the grid. On their site, Xcel provides numerous tips and suggestions. Included are links about energy star appliances, energy audits, and recycling inefficient devices. In addition, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, a group of utilities that serve more than 6 million homes and businesses across the US, has taken the approach of developing TogetherWeSave.com, which provides consumers with an interactive virtual house that they can tour. The house contains several conservation measures and the site as a whole has videos with energy saving hints.

Not only are power companies getting on the conservation bandwagon, but so are water utilities. Denver (CO) Water offers rebates (mentioned in a previous post) for high-efficiency washing machines. In California, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and The Family of Southern California Water Agencies have teamed up to create Be Water Wise. The site provides information on current reserves, tips to conserve water, and restrictions in the greater Los Angeles area.