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INUVIK - The town of Inuvik is hosting Inuvik's Biggest Loser - a contest to see who can reduce their energy usage the most over the next year.

The contest starts on Oct. 31.

Town energy planning committee chair Terry Halifax said the contest is a way to try and get more people to report their residential utilities' usage.

Energy planning committee chair Terry Halifax recommends using energy-saving light bulbs as a way to cut costs and be environmentally friendly. The town is hosting a contest for residents who pay utilities to cut their usage over the next year. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

Halifax said the committee is working on an energy plan for Inuvik's future.

"Right now, what we're trying to do is establish an energy profile," he said.

"It's basically an audit. We want to know who is using what and how much is being consumed."

He said the contest will also be a good way to find out how many residents are using oil to heat their homes.

Halifax said the idea for a contest stemmed from the difficulty other communities have had in gathering energy audit information.

"Other communities have had people going door to door, but it hasn't been successful," he said.

"People were practically getting doors slammed in their face."

A prize gives an incentive for families and residents to participate in the study.

The maximum amount to be awarded is $5,000 worth of power or heating - equal to a year's worth of utility bills, according to Halifax.

The energy committee chair said it's easy to sign up and take part in the contest. "All someone has to do is bring in their record of last year's consumption of energy," said Halifax.

"All that information will be charted to compare it against the upcoming year," he said.

Call your utility provider for your information for the last year.

He said the tallying will be done on a quarterly basis, which means you'll have to provide your information every four months.

"The winner will be the one who reduces their overall consumption the most," said Halifax.

He said he hopes to see some innovation from the residents of town on how they will save energy.

"There are many ways to lower their consumption," he said.

"They might even want to look into creating their own source of energy."

Halifax wants people to see it's not hard to reduce the amount of energy used on a regular basis.

"We want to show that people can reduce their consumption without being taxed into it," he said.

"We can do this on our own."

For those people looking for compact-fluorescent bulbs, there are many choices in town.

Dave Armstrong at Home Hardware said they have many different types in stock, depending on your needs.

"We have different packs of the 16-watt bulbs," said Armstrong.

"We also carry outdoor bulbs which are rated for -40 C weather," he said.

To register for the contest, pick up a form at the town office or check with development officer Bryce O'Connor.

Applications are posted at www.inuvik.ca, and can also be found at any utility provider in town.