The Town of West Hartford used a ‘Bright Idea’ grant to hold a community-wide light bulb swap.

West Hartford residents participate in a light bulb swap. Submitted photo

Submitted

More than 1,000 West Hartford residents recently participated in two light bulb swaps – one of which was part of the 2016 ENERGY STAR Change the World Tour. Residents exchanged more than 5,200 incandescent light bulbs for new, energy-efficient Energy Star LED bulbs, free of charge.

Each West Hartford resident who swapped out five of their home’s old, inefficient light bulbs is expected to save more than $50 in annual energy costs. Combined, these residents will save approximately $50,000 annually. Over the lifetime of the new LED bulbs, they will collectively save approximately $1,150,000.

Energy experts from Eversource were on hand at the light bulb swap to answer questions and provide information about additional opportunities to save money by making their homes more energy efficient, including information on the popular in-home service, Home Energy Solutions.

Thousands of incandescent and CFL bulbs were swapped for energy-efficient LED bulbs. Submitted photo

“Switching from incandescent to LED light bulbs is a great first step to improve your home’s energy efficiency,” said Eversource’s Energy Efficiency spokesman, Enoch Lenge. “We advise our customers to also consider a Home Energy Solutions checkup to discover what other changes can be made to save money and energy.”

Home Energy Solutions includes a home energy checkup and on-the-spot energy improvements performed by an Eversource-authorized contractor. The service is valued at an average of $1,000, but only costs $124; the fee is waived for income-eligible residents. A typical customer saves $200 a year following a Home Energy Solutions checkup and will receive recommendations from their contractor for even more energy savings.

During a Home Energy Solutions, West Hartford residents will receive:

• Sealing around doors, windows, floor joists, and any other areas where air can escape (this service alone is valued at an average of $600)
• Energy-saving light bulbs, including LEDs and CFLs
• Health and safety tests on heating and cooling equipment
• Water-saving showerheads and faucet aerators, and hot water pipe wrap
• A report detailing your home’s performance before and after the changes that includes educational tips and recommendations on how to further reduce home energy costs
• Information on rebates and financing for additional upgrades including insulation, windows, appliances, and heating and cooling equipment as applicable
• A free advanced power strip if Home Energy Solutions is completed by November 30, 2016.

The town used a $15,000 Bright Idea Grant for the exchange, earned through their participation in Clean Energy Communities (CEC), the nationally-recognized Energize Connecticut program that helps cities and towns save energy and increase the installation of renewable energy. Since signing the CEC pledge in 2012, West Hartford has worked with Eversource to help the town reach its energy goals and reduce municipal building energy consumption by 20 percent by 2018.

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.