What's in our future? The choice is ours together.

When you join Greenergy, your dollars are used to purchase clean energy only - no fossil fuels and no nuclear power. Currently, more than 42,000 SMUD customers have joined Greenergy and helped build the Arden Fair Mall solar facility and Upper American River hydroelectric projects.

The cost to become a Greenergy member is just pennies a day and is conveniently included in your SMUD bill. For a small additional monthly charge of $6, SMUD will match 100% of your electricity needs with power from renewable resources. Plus, SMUD matches an additional 40% on top of the amount you pay to build new clean energy resources, reducing the need to build future polluting power plants. Still not sure? Try the 50% option for just $3 each month and SMUD will match 50% of your electricity needs with power from renewable resources.

To enroll or for more information, visit smud.org.

Consider joining Greenergy because the world we leave to future generations depends on what we do today.

SMUD ready for test of winter storms

Making sure the power is there when you need it is a year-round priority for SMUD maintenance crews.

Each year they patrol and inspect all of SMUD's nearly 9,800 miles of distribution lines and 500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines to spot and correct potential problems. Preventive maintenance is performed constantly on lines, poles, substations and transformers to ensure high levels of system reliability.

In addition, SMUD crews prune between 60,000 and 70,000 trees annually to minimize the potential for outages from falling branches during a storm.

As the storm season approaches, SMUD works with federal, county and municipal agencies to coordinate emergency response plans. When a storm approaches, SMUD crews, suppliers, emergency and customer service personnel are put on high alert, supported by the very latest in emergency response technology. Preparedness and reliability are hallmarks of SMUD's service to customers.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, but you need to be registered beforehand to cast your vote. Be sure to register by Oct. 20.

Voting by mail? Sign up by Oct. 28. For more information, visit the Sacramento County Elections Web site, www.elections.saccounty.net, or call (916) 875-6451.

You probably know by now that compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) last up to 10 times longer than standard light bulbs and use up to 75 percent less energy. Did you also know that you can now get them for as low as 99 cents?

Cut your energy bills down to size and help protect the environment by replacing your standard, hot-burning light bulbs with CFLs. They come in a variety of attractive styles and deliver up to seven years of warm, inviting light.

For a list of retailers offering SMUD discounts on CFLs, and for instructions on proper recycling of used bulbs, visit smud.org.

Save energy, money with CFLs now.

Take control of your energy use with new real-time monitor from SMUD

What if you could see, in realtime, what your energy use was costing you? You can, with a SMUD PowerCost Monitor^TM.

The PowerCost Monitor lets you see how much electricity you are using, what it’s costing you and how much you save by switching things off. Users typically can save up to 20 percent on their monthly electric bills.

The PowerCost Monitor retails for $149.99, but it's available to SMUD customers for $39.95. Visit www.smud.org/monitor for information or call Blue Line Technologies to get your PowerCost Monitor at special SMUD customer pricing, 1-866- 607-2583.

An easy-to-install transmitter attached to your electric meter sends information to a portable display inside your home. The paired devices come with printed instructions and a short installation DVD.

Fight the paper pile: Choose paperless billing

It's enough just to keep up with the onslaught of paper that arrives each day in the mail. SMUD can help you whittle down that pile with eBill -- SMUD's free paperless billing service.

To get started, go to www.smud.org and log on to "Your Account." In just minutes you'll be ready to start viewing your monthly bills online and paying them one time or automatically each month with your credit card or from your checking account. You'll receive a monthly e-mail notification when you bill is ready for viewing.

The eBill also lets you view your 24-month billing and payment history.

So fight the paper pile, cut waste and eliminate stamps and checks with eBill. For more information, visit www.smud.org/pay..