Nevada Power does provide some incentives for reducing your power usage, and there are many ways in which you can reduce your energy use on your own. Their current incentive is the Cool Share Program. The jist is that they install a web-programmable thermostat in your home which they can adjust during the hottest days of the year (104+ degrees), by "cycling" your a/c. You get paid (credited) up to a dollar for each adjustment, which can add up over the hot summer. They say it's not terribly noticeable (up to 4 degrees), and they only do it on weekdays (when many of us are not home anyway). I cannot personally attest to how this works yet as we are waiting until we buy a home, hopefully within the next month.
There are many other ways to save on your power bill though, the most obvious - converting from your highly wasteful incandescent light bulbs to compact flourescents (CFLs). CFLs are so darn cheap now there's no excuse. My main complaint has been that they are so much harsher than regular bulbs, but there are some new ones now that house the regular CFL in a frosted casing, effectively giving us that "soft white light" that we're used to. There are ma
ny styles of CFLs available at Home Depot or Lowes now, even flood lights. They are cagegorized as equivalents to the wattage used by incandescent bulbs, I think since we all know how bright 25W or 60W bulbs are, even though the CFLs might only use 7 or 9 watts. Though slightly more expensive, CFLs last a lot longer than standard bulbs. The main drawback to CFLs is that it takes up to three minutes for them to fully warm up. You may not notice it now since the technology of CFLs has improved a lot over the last few years and now most bulbs on the market are "instant on". But if you turn a CFL on and off regularly without allowing it to warm up, it reduces the life of the bulb, and thus your energy savings. CFLs also contain mercury and should be disposed of properly - something I will research and post in the future.
ny styles of CFLs available at Home Depot or Lowes now, even flood lights. They are cagegorized as equivalents to the wattage used by incandescent bulbs, I think since we all know how bright 25W or 60W bulbs are, even though the CFLs might only use 7 or 9 watts. Though slightly more expensive, CFLs last a lot longer than standard bulbs. The main drawback to CFLs is that it takes up to three minutes for them to fully warm up. You may not notice it now since the technology of CFLs has improved a lot over the last few years and now most bulbs on the market are "instant on". But if you turn a CFL on and off regularly without allowing it to warm up, it reduces the life of the bulb, and thus your energy savings. CFLs also contain mercury and should be disposed of properly - something I will research and post in the future. There's actually some pretty exciting technology out there using LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). They are somewhat expensive now (getting better all the time though), but they are even more energy efficient than CFLs (ranging from 2 - 10 W), they last a hella long time, and you can turn them on and off as much as you want and it won't wear them out. They come 
in a variety of colors, including "warm white" and in just about every shape you can imagine. There are a variety of bases to fit into many different fixtures. LEDs can be recycled with your electronics and other "e-waste".
in a variety of colors, including "warm white" and in just about every shape you can imagine. There are a variety of bases to fit into many different fixtures. LEDs can be recycled with your electronics and other "e-waste".Drawbacks? Right now, cost. The one pictured here costs between $10 to $17, depending on what color you order. Many are in the $25 - $40 range. C. Crane says that if every household in the U.S. switched just one incandecent out for an LED bulb, we could eliminate one major nuclear power plant. Wow! Isn't that just begging for someone to start a campaign?
C. Crane - "Getting Started with LED Lighting" - great FAQ page!
Eartheasy - info on CFLs and LEDs
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