Nearly 250 Darien residents recently exchanged almost 1,300 incandescent light bulbs for new, energy-efficient LED bulbs for free during the town’s first-ever light bulb swap.
The light bulb exchange took place during the All Things Green Festival at Darien Library.
Each Darien resident who swapped out five of their home’s old, inefficient light bulbs is expected to save more than $50 in annual energy costs.
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— an announcement, slightly adapted, from Energize CT
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Combined, these residents will save approximately $13,000 annually. Over the lifetime of the new LED bulbs, they will collectively save approximately $300,000.
Energy experts from Eversource were on-hand at the light bulb swap to answer questions and provide people with information on how they can save money and energy at home, including information on the popular in-home service, Home Energy SolutionsSM (HES).
“Our light bulb swap was a great way for the people of Darien to celebrate Earth Day,” Eversource’s Energy Efficiency spokesman Enoch Lenge said. “Everyone that came out was excited about saving energy, which helps you save money and also benefits the environment.”
A single LED bulb has a life expectancy of about 23 years, uses up to 90 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.
The town used a $5,000 Bright Idea Grant for the exchange, earned through their participation in Energize Connecticut’s Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program.
In 2015, Darien signed the CEC pledge, committing to take on 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.
Once the CEC pledge is signed by a community, residents and businesses that take advantage of Energize Connecticut energy efficiency solutions can help their city or town earn a grant, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
Darien 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 exchange.
For more information on how to save energy and money at your home or business, please visit EnergizeCT.com or call 877.WISE.USE (877-947-3873).
About Energize Connecticut
Energize Connecticut helps you save money and use clean energy. It is an initiative of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the Connecticut Green Bank, the State, and your local electric and gas utilities, with funding from a charge on customer energy bills. Information on energy-saving programs can be found at EnergizeCT.com or by calling 1.877.WISE.USE.