City officials are promoting a new Web site that will help residents calculate their household greenhouse gas emissions and show them ways to conserve, reports Dan Haugen in the Southwest Journal.

The Minneapolis Energy Challenge begins by encouraging residents to replace five regular light bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). It may seem like a small step, but Judy Thommes of the Center for Energy and Environment, which developed the Web site, said small changes can mean real savings. “They’ll realize every little thing makes a difference.”

CFLs cost about $10 each, but they last much longer than regular bulbs and use far less energy.

The Web site’s energy calculator assesses each households energy use based on driving patterns, heating costs, and other measures. Once those numbers are put into the equation, residents can learn just how much greenhouse gases they emit each year and what they can do to lessen their energy use.

“The whole thought behind it is that it will empower people to do something,” Thommes said.

The Web site is at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/energychallenge/.