This year, you can give gifts that will keep giving throughout the new year with the energy-saving holiday gift ideas from the Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP).

A good place to begin is with a gift for your own home.

The Ameren Illinois Utilities (AIU) Act On Energy® program allows residential customers to save money by purchasing at sharply discounted prices energy-saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs at participating Sam’s Club, Menard’s, CVS, Best Buy, True Value, Meijer, Rural King and Ace Hardware stores.

Store locations are available at ActOnEnergy.com or by calling 1-866-838-6918.

ENERGY STAR® qualified CFLs are the smart lighting choice. When you use a CFL in place of an incandescent bulb, you can save $5 in energy costs for an entire year.

Replacing 20 incandescent bulbs with CFLs can add up to $100 in annual savings.

Another great gift idea for your home is ceiling fans. Residential customers can receive a $20 rebate by purchasing a qualified ceiling fan, which will help save you energy throughout the year.

Ceiling fans will allow you to set the thermostat lower in the winter and higher in the summer without sacrificing personal comfort.

A unique gift idea involves getting rid of that old, second refrigerator or freezer that is sitting out in the garage or down in the basement.

AIU will pay an electric customer $35 for a standard size working refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1993. Those units typically cost $130 or more a year to operate.

Eligible Ameren Illinois Utilities electric customers should call 1-866-899-9088 to schedule a pickup of their refrigerator or freezer.

The call center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Details of these and many other home gift ideas are found at ActOnEnergy.com.

If you are looking for that perfect gift for someone else, then check out the ENERGY STAR Web site (EnergyStar.gov) for suggestions that will save on energy bills.

Among the most popular ENERGY STAR qualified products are DVD players, wide-screen televisions, home computers, radio tuners, CD players, speakers and clock radios.

If you want to give your family or a friend’s family a very special gift, assemble a “storm kit.”

It should contain:

• Emergency telephone numbers;
• flashlights and fresh batteries (avoid using candles, lanterns or oil lamps due to the fire risk);
• extra garage and house keys;
• a battery-powered radio;
• a battery-powered or wind-up alarm clock;
• a supply of bottled water (one gallon per person per day);
• non-perishable foods that don’t require heating;
• blankets, bedding or sleeping bags;
• a first-aid kit and medications;
• a hand-operated can opener;
• special items for infants or family members with special needs;
• hand tools, such as a screwdriver, scissors and duct tape;
• household items like plastic utensils, paper plates, waterproof matches and household bleach;
• identification and copies of important family documents.

The storm kit should be stored in a secure, centrally located part of your house. All family members should know where to find the kit.

The Ameren Illinois Utilities have been providing safe, reliable energy delivery service for more than a century.

The Ameren Illinois Utilities deliver energy to 1.2 million electric and more than 840,000 natural gas customers in about 1,000 communities, while helping customers spend less by using less energy and communities grow through economic development initiatives.