LIPA Offers a Special Daylight Energy Savings Time Promotion
LIPA Provides Rebates on Energy Saving Compact Fluorescent Bulbs & Other Energy Savers

Uniondale, NY – March 7, 2007 – The Long Island power Authority (LIPA) today announced a new daylight Energy Savings Time rebate program for compact fluorescent bulbs to coincide with the Nation’s new daylight savings time starting this Sunday.

Beginning March 12, 2007 and running through April 30, 2007, LIPA will rebate $1.00 per bulb per pack of ENERGY STAR spiral CFLs, $3.50 on third party tested specialty lamps (globes, A-lamps, 3-way bulbs and dimmable bulbs) and $2.50 per bulb per pack on Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) heat-tested reflectors(for hi-hats).

Since 1999, LIPA has worked hard to raise consumer awareness about the benefits of ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting products through its Residential Lighting Program, as part of the LIPA’s Clean Energy Initiative (CEI).  The CEI is LIPA’s 10-year, $355-million commitment to promote clean, renewable electric generation technologies and energy conservation and efficiency.

As a result of LIPA’s Residential Lighting Program incentives, a total of 3,410,376 ENERGY STAR qualified CFL’s and 223,028 ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures and torchieres were purchased by LIPA customers in conjunction with LIPA program offerings. As of December, 2006 on Long Island 15.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity have been conserved through the use of CFL’s.  That is enough electricity to power 15,500 average-sized homes.

Home lighting accounts for nearly 20 percent of electricity costs for the average Long Island home, and the average home has more than 30 light fixtures.  LIPA’s new promotion offers its customers the opportunity to switch out their energy guzzling incandescent light bulbs for the new and improved compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs).

“Daylight Savings Time was created to save energy. With a 3 week head start Long Island will be able to conserve even more,” said LIPA CEO and President Richard M. Kessel.  “Thousands of Long Island households have already seen the light and are reaping the benefits of compact fluorescent lighting. LIPA believes we can do more. On March 12th LIPA will launch its Daylight Energy Savings/Earth Day Promotion making everyday Earth Day at LIPA!”

CFL’s on average, use 75% less energy than a comparable incandescent bulb while providing the same level of brightness. For example, a 15 watt CFL is equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb. Also, at 5 hours a day an ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL will last 3.29 years, while an incandescent bulb would last only 6 months. This saves consumers money on their electric bills while creating less pollution, a by-product of energy production and consumption. With an average lifespan of 8,000 hours, it also means fewer trips to the store to purchase replacement bulbs, and less time and hassle changing them.

A 15 wattCFL costs $3.42 per year to operate while a 60 watt incandescent would cost $13.68 per year. Using a 15 watt CFL in place of a 60 watt incandescent bulb will save LIPA customers $10.26 per bulb per year.

A 32 watt CFL costs $7.29 per year while the 100 watt incandescent equivalent would cost $22.79.

Using a 32 watt CFL in place of a 100 watt incandescent bulb will save LIPA customers $15.50 per bulb, per year.

The LIPA ENERGY STAR Lighting Program goes beyond pricing. LIPA’s goal is to promote quality CFLs that are not just a substitute for incandescent bulbs, but a preference. This is accomplished in part by encouraging manufacturers to participate in quality control testing by an independent party. One such party is the Program for the Evaluation and Analysis of Residential Lighting (PEARL). PEARL is administered by the Lighting Research Center in Troy, NY.

While all manufacturers must test their lighting products and submit results to the Department of Energy as part of their application process for the ENERGY STAR, third party testing provides an active system to ensure products in the marketplace are living up to the ENERGY STAR standards. Such standards include long life, realistic color, quick start time, and maintained brightness over the bulb’s lifetime.

To learn more about LIPA’s Clean Energy Initiative and energy efficient products, visit LIPA’s Web site at www.lipower.org/cei or call 1-800-692-2626.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric utility, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.  LIPA is the 3rd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of customers served and the 6th largest in terms of electricity delivered.  In 2006, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State in all three major reliability categories.  LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: www.lipower.org.
LIPA Contact Information:
Media Relations: (516) 719-9892
Media Pager: (516) 525-LIPA
media.relations@lipower.org

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