Energy conservation should be everyone's concern and MLGW wants to help customers reduce their energy usage. To that end, several programs have been implemented to educate and inform customers about conservation: Energy Doctor audits, EcoBuild for new construction, free energy kits through My Account on mlgw.com and EnergySmart workshops are examples.

As an organization, we see the potential of smart meters to reduce energy consumption, and subsequently greenhouse emissions for all our customers. During MLGW's Smart Demonstration project, 1,000 volunteers, empowered with their own usage data, implemented conservation steps that reduced their electricity use. Average household electricity kilowatt-hour reductions were from 2.3 percent to 5.6 percent. If all of MLGW's 400,000+ customers were able to reduce their consumption - even on the lower end of the range, around two percent - that would have a significant impact on our environment reducing pollution, improving local air quality and reducing the need for new power plants.

Curious about your household's current energy usage and the correlating greenhouse gas equivalency? You can access carbon footprint calculators using MLGW's online My Account feature or by visiting the Environmental Protection Agency's website to determine your carbon footprint and the impact of energy savings.

To learn more about the relationship between pollution and air quality, click on the video below featuring the Shelby County Health Department Manager for Pollution Control, Bob Rogers.