INUVIK - Barb Kiely and Rick Campbell are well on their way to becoming Inuvik's biggest losers.

But they don't mind. In fact, they're laughing all the way to the bank.

Rick Campbell is leading the way in Inuvik's Biggest Loser contest, which challenges residents to cut down on their energy consumption levels. His home's newly-installed high-efficiency natural gas furnace and tankless hot water heater account for the significant drop in energy use. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

The couple who live on Union Street top the list of 10 local homeowners vying for first place in Inuvik's Biggest Loser contest, in which participants are battling it out to see who can cut down the most on household consumption of electricity, heat and water this year over the previous one.

The winner gets a year of utilities free, compliments of Arctic Dove, NWT Power Corp. and the Town of Inuvik, which is running the event. For renters who only pay a power bill, a prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the contestant who reduces their electricity consumption the most. So far Ida Stewart sits in first place.

When Kiely and Campbell heard about the competition they were planning some home renovations. Beyond installing fluorescent light bulbs in their home, they've gotten rid of their old electric range in favour of a gas one, and they've just replaced the diesel furnace with a high-efficiency natural gas furnace. They've also replaced their old hot water heater that kept a tank of 35 gallons of water constantly heated with a tankless hot water heater that heats water instantly on demand.

The investments haven't been cheap but they've ended up saving the couple "easily hundreds of dollars" in billing.

"It's actually pretty surprising how much money we saved," Campbell said.

To enter the contest residents had to fill out an application to the town, which included a record of total consumption in each of the three categories over the 2007-2008 year. The contest, which relies on participants to submit monthly consumption readings, is broken down into four three-month quarters. Danny Johnson, co-ordinator of Inuvik's Biggest Loser, crunches the numbers and figures out whether participants have either increased or decreased consumption levels for each quarter.

Since the contest began last November, two quarters have been completed with Kiely and Campbell leading the way with a drop of 14.42 per cent and 18.13 per cent respectively. Tegwen Jones and Len MacDonald are a respectable second with drops of 14.33 per cent and 10.98 per cent. The event will end at the end of October.

Campbell said you don't have to spend thousands on upgraded appliances to see a difference on your utility bill. The couple sets the thermostat to 18 C during the winter months, and turns off lights when they leave the room.

"It does takes an effort," he said. "It's about making a conscious effort to turn off the lights when you leave a room or considering whether you need a light on in the first place. It's about having a certain mindset."

Johnson agrees, saying attention to little things adds up to significant savings.

"We want to get the town thinking about conserving energy and I think that this contest is showing that it's working," said Johnson. "Whenever you get a 14 per cent reduction overall in electricity and fuel and water consumption, it's amazing. It's amazing what people can do when they set their minds to it."

Campbell said he has more plans to make his home even more energy efficient, including reinsulating the roof and floor.