The California energy crisis forced nearly every resident of the Golden State to conserve energy this summer. The good news: 80 percent of Californians say their personal conservation efforts had no significant impact on their quality of life.

California's lesson is an important one for the whole country, argues the non-profit Center for a New American Dream. Conserving energy does not have to be painful.

Launching a new energy-conservation campaign, "Turn the Tide," the group seeks "a safer and more sustainable way of life" through small steps taken by individual consumers.

It outlines nine actions citizens can take, including skipping one car trip per week, using energy-efficient light bulbs and water-saving devices, and moving the thermostat (up in summer; down in winter) by 3 degrees.

For more information on the Turn the Tide campaign: 1-877-683-7326 or newdream.org/.

Travel scam redress

If you were one of the tens of thousands of vacation-hungry consumers who got snookered last summer by Epic Resorts, here's a heads-up: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced last week that the Pennsylvania-based travel firm has been ordered to make good on overdue and unmade refunds to consumers who accepted their "vacation prize" offers and purchased approximately 64,000 travel packages before changing their minds.

The travel packages cost as much as $698 each - making consumer redress totals in the tens of millions of dollars.

Epic Resorts and its sister company, Epic Travel, sent unsolicited faxes and e-mail and cold-called consumers who the firm claimed registered at public events to win vacations, and misrepresented to them that they had won or were selected specially to receive a vacation, according to the FTC.

Epic didn't disclose the total cost of vacation packages, however, and didn't mention conditions and restrictions on using the travel packages before customers paid for them. Also, Epic failed to refund the money of customers requesting refunds within a 30-day cancellation period.

The settlement requiring Epic to make refunds stems from legal action the FTC took in "Operation Travel Unravel" in August 2000 that targeted Epic and other operations charged with travel fraud and deceptive practices.

People who believe they were taken by Epic should file complaints with the local Better Business Bureau or state attorney general's consumer protection office, or the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or www.ftc.gov. The FTC also urges anyone who has had similar problems with other travel companies to file a complaint.

Legal brochures

HALT, a legal reform group, is offering two free consumer brochures, Before You Hire a Lawyer and Collaborative Law. To request the brochures, call 1-888-367-4258.

Donate with caution

A warning from the Federal Trade Commission this summer recommends that consumers be cautious when contacted by police- or firefighter-affiliated organizations requesting donations.

Although some of these organizations conduct worthwhile activities, "simply having the words 'police! or 'firefighter' in an organization's name" doesn't mean that the funds will benefit the community, the FTC warned.

In fact, in so-called "badge deals" across the nation, solicitors typically claim donations will be used locally to support popular causes, such as drug-abuse education. But often the biggest cut goes to the fund-raisers themselves.