For some people, the New Year means party hats and midnight toasts.  For others, we see the holiday as the perfect opportunity to turn over a new leaf and make a new years resolution.  This past year Governor Sebelius set a goal of reducing the energy consumption in the state of Kansas five percent by 2010 and ten percent by 2020.  In 2008, I challenge you to make the goal of your New Years resolution to help us reach those energy goals.

Here are some ways to go about it.

• As incandescent light bulbs in your house burn out, replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs.  CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy and can save you $30 or more over the life of a single bulb.
  
  
• Change furnace and air conditioner filters monthly.  Clogged and dirty filters can drastically decrease the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems.
  
  
• Turn off lights and unplug small appliances and cell phone chargers when not in use.  One recent study suggested that you can save up to 25% off your electric bill by eliminating stand-by power.
  
  
• Dont let energy seep out of your house install low-cost weather stripping and caulking around windows and doors.
  
  
• Consider purchasing a programmable thermostat to automatically set the temperature in your home lower at night and when you arent there.

Simple changes like these can make a big difference.  With your help we can easily meet the goal to reduce our energy consumption and you can finally make a New Years resolution you can stick to and will pay you money!

Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson