A switched reluctance drive is supplied from a power source. The phases of the machine are controlled by a current controller which uses an excitation strategy to minimize the supply current drawn for a particular output. The strategy alternates the excitation between two phases for a given time until the rotor moves to a desired position. A method of starting a switched reluctance motor having a stator with at least two phases, a moveable part, and a position transducer includes determining from transducer output a plurality of phases that are available to produce force in a desired direction, energizing a first phase of the available phases for a predetermined time period that is independent of the transducer output, and energizing a second phase of the available phases after energization of the first phase is initiated.