Change A Light Campaign in Kentucky

This national challenge is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to encourage Americans to consider the energy they use and help change the world one light, one step, at a time. A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) lasts 6-10 times longer and uses up to 75% less electricity than a traditional incandescent light bulb.  By pledging to change just one light, you can reduce your overall energy bill. More importantly, this simple step can help reduce the power demand on our energy infrastructure, delaying expensive power plant construction, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and  our demand for foreign oil.

Visit www.energystar.gov/changealight to learn more about this year’s campaign.

Need help figuring out which bulbs to use and where?  Check out the new ENERGY STAR 'Choose a Light Guide.'

Beginning October 2007 through September 2008, people all over the Commonwealth began organizing pledge drives to help ‘Change a Light, Change the World’.  It is only through the collective effort of everyone that we can make a difference.  Once you have collected your pledges, please get them entered on the ENERGY STAR website as soon as possible.  At the end of each month, during the 'Change a Light' campaign-year, we will check the totals and update our progress chart below.  Watch your numbers grow!

This month’s total:  20,271
Last month’s total:  18,512

Collective savings, to date (net, life cycle savings):

• 9.2 million kilowatt-hours in electricity, for the entire life of the bulbs
• $651,065 in utility bills (taking into account the energy savings and bulb replacement costs)
• 18.8 million pounds in greenhouse gases (which is equivalent to the emissions of 1,639 cars)

If you are not already involved, you can register to become a pledge driver or register an individual pledge.  Also, see the ‘Change a Light’ teachers guide  for activity ideas.

For more information on how you and your group can get involved in a ‘Change a Light’ campaign, contact Karen Reagor, of the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project , at (859) 578-0312 or kreagor@need.org.

The "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign is designed to help people realize that they can make a difference – even in small ways.  This campaign encourages everyone to change at least one incandescent bulb to a compact fluorescent bulb.  However, many people have raised some questions about this campaign and about CFLs.

Q:  Why change only one bulb?
A:  Of course you can change more bulbs, but the idea of this campaign is to encourage everyone to make that initial change. Once you change one bulb, you’ll realize how easy it is to change more!

Q:  How much good does changing one bulb accomplish?
A:  One CFL use uses 75% less energy, and lasts 6-10 times longer than a standard bulb. That’s real money and real energy savings.  If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. 

In the first year alone, if every Kentuckian changed just one 60 watt incandescent bulb to a 15 watt compact fluorescent bulb, we would save 122 million kilowatts, or $8 million in home energy costs. This is roughly equivalent to the harmful carbon emissions of 149,000 cars on road.

Q:  Where can I buy compact fluorescent bulbs? And what do I ask for?
A:  They are actually quite commonly found in stores now.  You can get them at most any hardware, lighting supply, or grocery store.  Simply ask for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL's) – the types that screw in – many, but not all, have the characteristic spiral bulb.

Q:  Will compact fluorescent bulbs work in my home and in my fixtures? 
A:  Yes.  Most CFL bulbs screw into the socket on most any table, floor, ceiling, or wall light fixture. Some light fixtures have a smaller socket into which the bulbs must fit (the candelabra-type bulbs). Compact fluorescent bulbs are available for this type of socket as well.  If you have a light fixture connected to a dimmer or 3-way switch, be sure to buy the type CFL bulb specially designed to work with these switches, or you may experience problems.  Similarly, if you are planning to use CFLs in an outdoor setting, be sure to buy bulbs specifically designed to be used outdoors – otherwise, standard CFLs do perform well in cold temperatures.

Be sure to look for ENERGY STAR® branded CFL bulbs, as these are designed to specific quality standards.

Q:  I have heard fluorescent bulbs contain mercury; is this harmful to me and my family?
A: Compact fluorescent bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams – about the amount that would cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury (it would take 100 CFLs to equal that amount).  More importantly, using CFLs means using less electricity -  preventing 5.67 mg of mercury from being released from the average power plant (Source:  www.homeenergy.org, "Understanding CFLs", Nov./Dec. 2007).  For more information on this topic, see the EPA fact sheet.

Q:  Why aren’t we encouraged to use LED lights?
A:  LED (or light emitting diode) lights are a new and emerging technology that can save even more energy (30-50% less than fluorescent lighting), and have even longer life spans (10 times longer than fluorescent lighting).  However, their applications are still somewhat limited for most common uses, they are not readily available in stores, and their higher price still make them limited to special applications.