More than 230 Essex residents recently participated in a light bulb swap as part of the town’s Energy Fair, where they exchanged more than 1,158 traditional incandescent light bulbs for high-efficiency LED bulbs, free of charge.
Essex residents, with identification, were able to exchange old incandescent bulbs for five free LED light bulbs. A single LED bulb has a life expectancy of 23 years, uses up to 80 percent less energy, and can save homeowners as much as $10 per year versus a traditional incandescent bulb, which has about a 1.5 to 2.5 year lifespan. Each resident who swapped out their home’s old, inefficient light bulbs is expected to save more than $50 in annual energy costs. Combined, these residents will save $20,367 annually, with a total lifetime savings of over $301,467.
In addition to the light bulb swap, energy experts from Eversource were on-hand to answer questions and provide information about further actions residents can take to save money by making their homes more energy efficient. Additional LED energy saving products such as holiday lights, night lights and specialty bulbs were available for purchase at a discounted rate as well. A variety of energy related information and services were available from vendors such as Competitive Resources, Ameri Group, Southern Connecticut Gas, and Benedetto Heating & AC. Representatives from Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) and the Public Utility Regulation Authority (PURA) were on hand to talk about the electric industry in Connecticut and discuss selecting suppliers to save money on residential electric bills.
The Town used a $4,500 grant, earned through participation in Energize Connecticut’s Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program, to fund the exchange. In October, 2012, Essex signed the CEC pledge, committing to make efforts to reduce municipal building energy consumption by 20 percent, attain 20 percent of municipal electricity needs from renewable sources, and take other actions to support the deployment of clean energy by 2018.
Residents and businesses that took advantage of Energize Connecticut energy efficiency solutions helped the community earn the grant and reaped the benefits with this LED giveaway.
In addition to the bulb swap, the energy fair also had activities and education stations for children and younger residents to learn more about energy efficiency and energy saving tips, as well as a number of electric cars on display.
