SMUD Delivers Energy-Saving Light Bulbs Door To Doorr
Some Citrus Heights residents get free CFL bulbs and learn how to cut their electric bills

People living in the Citrus Heights neighborhood near San Juan High School received energy- efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs as part of an ongoing pilot project by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to educate and facilitate energy savings in its communities. Volunteers go door to door delivering the bulbs and sharing information about how to save money on energy bills. The Citrus Heights neighborhood is the fourth community to participate in the SMUD pilot project and other neighborhoods are being scheduled as well.

SMUD employee volunteers, along with neighborhood and community groups, including students from San Juan High School, visited 250 homes asking residents to exchange their incandescent light bulbs for the energy-efficient CFL bulbs. Each home received four CFL bulbs. SMUD conducted similar CFL exchange efforts last month in the Tahoe Park neighborhood and previously in the Oak Park and Ben Ali communities.

CFL bulbs are up to 75 percent more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs and can last eight to 10 times longer. SMUD estimates that replacing just four bulbs per home could result in a household savings of about $140 over the lifetime of the bulbs. The exchange also carries benefits for the community in total energy savings of nearly 30,000 kilowatt hours per year for 1,000 bulbs, enough to power about three homes for an entire year. Saving energy reduces the need to generate electricity, contributes to stable rates for all customers and is better for the environment.

Lighting can be as much as 20 percent of a customer’s electric bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Working with customers, SMUD has helped put nearly two million ENERGY STAR® CFL bulbs and fixtures in homes and businesses over the past several years. Nearly 60 percent of SMUD households have at least one CFL bulb in their home, compared to just 16 percent in 2000.

One of the ways SMUD has been able to achieve such remarkable market penetration is by being a participating utility in the DOE’s Change a Light, Change the World campaign. Every October and November, SMUD and more than 200 local participating retailers help customers make the change to CFL with special discounts on ENERGY STAR® bulbs and fixtures. SMUD lowers the cost of CFL bulbs. Some bulbs are priced as low as 99 cents each. SMUD has participated in the Change a Light, Change the World campaign since 1996. The electric utility has also promoted the use of energy-efficient lighting for more than 20 years. SMUD was recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2004 for its residential lighting program. SMUD has also set an ambitious 1.5 percent annual energy- savings goal that surpasses the state’s goal by 50 percent.

For more information about switching to energy-efficient lighting and other energy efficiency measures, visit smud.org. For more information about ENERGY STAR® visit energystar.gov. For more information about involving your community or neighborhood in the SMUD CFL change out effort, contact Sam Starks at 916-732-5131.