Press Releases
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Puget Sound Energy and Project Porchlight seek volunteers to help deliver 275,000 free CFL bulbs to PSE’s residential electric customers to help save energy and the environment
July 6, 2009 - This summer and fall, Puget Sound Energy and Project Porchlight volunteers will deliver 275,000 free ENERGY STAR®-qualified, energy-saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs to PSE residential electric customers, door to door and at community events in PSE’s service area.
“Simple actions matter” is one of the core messages of the PSE and Project Porchlight campaign, a grassroots initiative designed to mobilize and empower people of all walks of life to take advantage of the many benefits of switching to energy-efficient CFL bulbs. The two organizations are partnering to extend that message throughout the Puget Sound region.
“Mobilizing communities is key to reducing energy use in PSE’s service area,” said Cal Shirley, vice president of Energy Efficiency Services for PSE. “Customers in the Lake Hills neighborhood of Bellevue were thrilled with PSE’s door-to-door volunteer program earlier this year, and we want all our electric customers to know they can individually make a difference in our region and encourage them to spread the word to friends, family and neighbors. By getting communities involved, we all save energy, save money and protect the environment.”
Since PSE began its energy efficient lighting program in 2002, the utility has distributed more than 10 million CFL bulbs within its electric service area, an average of 10 CFL bulbs per household.
CFL bulbs use 75 percent less electricity than old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Every light bulb changed will save $43 or more in electricity costs over its lifetime. In PSE’s service area, the 275,000 bulbs to be distributed by Project Porchlight translate to overall savings of almost $12 million in customer energy costs, and a reduction of almost 70 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
“Project Porchlight empowers residents to make simple choices like changing a light bulb that will save them money and help protect the environment,” said Stuart Hickox, executive director of Project Porchlight. “Above all, our message is a call to action for Puget Sound area residents to get involved in energy conservation and to make a real difference in their community.”
In addition to the community CFL bulb deliveries, PSE and Project Porchlight are working together to encourage PSE residential electric customers to participate in the upcoming PSE Rock the Bulb summer and fall campaign, which will provide them with additional tools and incentives to become more energy-efficient at 16 weekend events at local hardware stores throughout PSE’s electric service area.
During the summer campaign, PSE residential electric customers will be able to exchange up to 10 incandescent light bulbs for 10 free CFL bulbs at the local retail events. Residents who participate in the campaign’s energy efficiency contest will also be eligible for a opportunity to win part of $45,000 total in prizes, awarded as Lowe’s and Ace Hardware gift cards for more energy efficiency home upgrades and provided by PSE’s partner Feit Electric. More details are available at: PSE.com and rockthebulb.pse.com.
In the month of July, Project Porchlight volunteers will participate in community events and go door-to-door in 24 communities, including Bellevue, Renton, Kirkland and Issaquah. August events will include Silverdale, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Anacortes and Oak Harbor. September events include Mt. Vernon, Bellingham and Federal Way. The season will wrap up with October events in Kent, Auburn, Puyallup, Lacey and Olympia.
Door-to-door porch light exchange events are also being planned for Port Townsend, Redmond, Bothell, Ferndale, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, and Burlington.
Interested volunteers for the door-to-door campaign can stop by sign up recruitment booths at community events (visit projectporchlight.org/events for dates) or sign-up online at: porchlight.org or call 1-888-362-0363 for more information.
CFL bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury, so they should not be put in the garbage. There are many locations around the Puget Sound region that accept bulbs for recycling for free, including select PSE offices. For more information on CFL bulb recycling, visit PSE.com or call a PSE Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For more information, contact:
Rebekah Anderson
Puget Sound Energy
1-888-831-7250
PSEnewsroom@pse.com
Michael Thomas – Campaign Manager
Project Porchlight, Puget Sound
Phone: 425.213.5634 or 425.319.8860 (mobile)
Email: Michael.Thomas@porchlight.org
About Puget Sound Energy
Washington state’s oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties. A subsidiary of Puget Energy, PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service and delivering energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit PSE.com.
About Project Porchlight
Project Porchlight is a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit campaign with offices across North America. The campaign's goal is to empower people to believe that simple actions matter and to make smart choices that protect the environment. We aim to do this by bringing together business, community groups, and volunteers to deliver one free energy-saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb to households across Canada and the U.S.
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