The 2013 Energy Smackdown is well underway in the Gallatin Valley as residents step up and join in the City of Bozeman’s goal to reduce 10% of energy used in the area, saving homeowners what is estimated to be more than $2.6 million each year.
The challenge, which is awarding monthly prizes to participants, and will offer grand prizes at the end of the event in April 2014, is an effort “to educate our community on how to be more energy conscious, either through conservation or adding renewable technology, and to make energy conservation fun,” said Jon Shafer, executive director of the Northern Rocky Mountain RC&D.

Shafer, along with Natalie Meyers, City of Bozeman Sustainability coordinator, are managers for the Energy Smackdown project and are responsible for managing the webpage, prizes, sponsorships, and weekly workshops designed to educate the public about energy conservation.

With no marketing efforts initially, the Smackdown has gained over 70 participants from the community, growing from 30 participants who started in April. An ambitious goal; Shafer said “our hope is to grow it to over 1,000 participants by December.”
The City of Bozeman is collaborating with both the Northern Rocky Mountain RC&D and the Montana State University Weatherization Center in its efforts. It is the hope that with the help of new recent partners Northwestern Energy, Community Works Foundation, and Lowe’s, awareness will increase and inspire a change, encouraging residents to conserve energy and reinvigorate the local home improvement industry.

Equipped with online tools, resources, and incentives, participants are able to easily “evaluate their household energy use, engage with neighbors, and save on their bottom line,” according to the project website.
Launched on April 22, 2013, the smackdown will continue for one year and residents can enter into the competition at any time before April 2014 in order to be eligible for prizes. All one has to do is sign up online at the project website, then enter utility bill information into his or her online account in order to track energy reduction progress.

Resources are available to help residents with this challenge. Informational booklets, videos, and apps are accessible — some are even available on the Energy Smackdown website — as well as home weatherization workshops taught by the Montana State University Weatherization Center. These workshops are held weekly and are taught by industry professionals, “giving you the real knowledge to get it done right the first time,” said Shafer.

All participants will be awarded an Energy Smackdown window decal and 2014 Bozeman calendar filled with energy efficiency resources. Monthly prizes consist of $250 gift cards to local home improvement stores. Grand prize winners will be selected based on two categories — the greatest percent reduction in energy use, and the greatest overall reduction of energy used — and those winners will receive a $1000 gift card at the conclusion of the challenge.

While the competition will come to an end, it is the hope of the challenge organizers to expand the project. “The possibilities of the Energy Smackdown are endless,” Shafer said. There is potential to expand the challenge to other communities and change the categories for prizes to those such as who could save the most money, or who could make the greatest impact on protecting the environment. “Personally, I think a competition against Missoula — CATS vs. GRIZ – could be a fun and entertaining step for the future,” he added.
For more information or to sign up for the challenge, visit www.bozemanenergysmackdown.net or contact Jon Shafer jon@nrmrcd.org or Natalie Meyer nmeyer@bozeman.net

Jessianne Wright is an honors student at MSU with plans to study abroad in Spain this fall.