LIPA Encourages All Long Islanders to Join in the Change a Light, Change the World Campaign
Over 4,000,000 Compact Fluorescent Bulbs in Use on Long Island Today
Farmingdale, NY -October 25, 2006 – The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Farmingdale announced today that they are proud participants in the National Change A Light, Change the World campaign. Each year the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency join with LIPA and organizations across the country to encourage every American to change out the energy wasting incandescent light bulbs in their homes with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting.
“Many Long Island residents are already familiar with the ENERGY STAR program. In fact, since the launch of LIPA’s Clean Energy Initiative in 1999, nearly four million Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) have been rebated,” said LIPA Chairman Richard M. Kessel. “That amounts to almost four CFL bulbs per household, which is a great start. To date, almost 15 megawatts (MW) of electricity have been conserved on Long Island through the use of CFLs. That’s enough electricity to power 15,000 average-sized homes.”
The Residential Lighting Program, part of LIPA’s Clean Energy Initiative (CEI), began with a $7 coupon on ENERGY STAR (CFLs) in 1999. At that time, the average price of a single CFL was $12.48. Today, as a result of growing public awareness and customer demand, the average price of an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL 6-bulb multi-pack is about $10.00. With LIPA’s $1 off per-bulb promotion during the Change a Light promotion, this same pack can be purchased for $4.00.
Changing the world starts with simple actions.
In 1999, LIPA created the Clean Energy Initiative (CEI). The CEI is a 10-year, $355-million commitment to promote clean, renewable electric generation technologies, energy conservation and efficiency. in part to raise consumer awareness about ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting products through its Residential Lighting Program.
An ENERGY STAR qualified CFL bulb uses two-thirds less energy than traditional lighting products and lasts six to ten times longer. The ENERGY STAR label can be found on lighting products ranging from light bulbs to an increasingly wide range of stylish and task-oriented lamps and fixtures. To save the most energy and money, consumers should replace the most frequently used fixtures or the light bulbs within them with energy-efficient models. The five most frequently used fixtures in a home are typically the kitchen ceiling light, the living room table and floor lamps, bathroom vanity, and outdoor porch or post lamp.
The average home can cause more air pollution than a car. Because ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use two-thirds less energy than traditional light bulbs and last 6-10 times longer, they create less greenhouse emissions – a by-product of energy consumption. In addition to helping preserve our environment for future generations, the long life and energy efficiency of CFLs can help improve preserve Long Island’s lifestyle by saving both time and money. Using ENERGY STAR qualified lighting can help reduce electric bills, while saving time shopping for and replacing bulbs.
“If there is anyone out there who insists on getting a higher electric bill they should continue to use these energy-guzzling conventional light bulbs,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI), a not-for-profit clean energy advocacy organization. “For the rest of us, energy-efficient Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs are the much smarter choice.”
LIPA residential customers will be eligible to purchase ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs in multi-packs (more than one bulb per package) at $1 off per bulb. Instant rebate coupons will be available at participating LIPA ENERGY STAR retail partners that carry multi-bulb packages of CFLs.
By switching to ENERGY STAR qualified lighting consumers can save money, energy and the environment. LIPA’s $1 off promotion will run until November 30, 2006.
Why Choose CFLs?
CFLs may cost a little more up front, but ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs save time, money and the environment because they require less energy to operate.
CFLs on average, use 75% less energy than a comparable incandescent bulb while providing the same level of brightness. For example, a 14 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.
Using a 15 watt CFL in place of a 60 watt incandescent bulb will save LIPA customers $10.26 per bulb, per year. The 15 watt CFL cost $3.42 per year to energize while the 60 watt incandescent cost $13.68 to energize.
Using a 32 watt CFL in place of a 100 watt incandescent bulb will save LIPA customers $15.50 per bulb, per year. The 32 watt CFL cost $7.29 per year to energize while the 100 watt incandescent cost $22.79 to energize.
Additionally, today’s CFLs are much improved from the original version. CFLs are now available in a variety of styles such as mini-spirals, A-lamps (which look similar to incandescent bulbs), globes (often used in vanity lighting), and reflectors or flood lamps. With the choices available to consumers today, LIPA is proud to sponsor products such as ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs, which will help to preserve Long Island’s natural resources for future generations.
Pledge for Quality
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), which is run 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.
In 2005, LIPA made a pledge to rebate more third party tested bulbs than ever before, and the results were overwhelming. By working closely with manufacturers LIPA was able to promote select models for the “Change A Light, Change the World” promotion held last fall. The promotion was held over a ten-week period and resulted in sales of more than 360,000 ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL models that have passed third party testing. While other utilities and energy efficiency groups in the Northeast held similar Change A Light promotions, Long Island retail partners led the way in sales. Out of 74 total stores participating in the region, those in the top ten for volume were LIPA ENERGY STAR retail partners. As a result of this partnership, 60 percent of the total CFLs rebated by LIPA last year were third-party tested. In 2005, 605,798 CFLs were rebated with 383,402 being 3rd party tested.
The Change A Light, Change A World campaign began October 4. LIPA invites customers to join the campaign by logging on to www.lipower.org and taking the pledge, today.
For more information on saving energy in the home, visit www.lipower.org/cei or call the LIPA Energy Hotline at 1-800-692-2626.
LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric utility, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System (T&D) on Long Island and provides electric service to over 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. In terms of customers served, LUIPA is the 3rd largest municipal electric utility in the nation and the 6th largest in terms of electricity delivered. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island electric generation assets.
LIPA Contact Information:
Media Relations: (516) 719-9892
Media Pager: (516) 525-LIPA
media.relations@lipower.org
LIPA News Center
http://www.lipower.org/newscenter
Change A Light
http://www.lipower.org/cei/cal.html
