The sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day (or while supplies last). For Festival information including other exhibitors go to www.earthwayshome.org or call 314-577-0220. EarthWays Home is located at 3617 Grandel Square in the Grand Center area of St. Louis, Mo.
Residents are encouraged to use the bulbs to replace their home's 5 or 6 most frequently used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, with ENERGY STAR(R) qualified CFLs. The most frequently used lights typically include kitchen ceiling lights, living room table lamps, living room floor lamps and bathroom vanity light.
The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) is organizing the event in conjunction with the national "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign, which promotes the financial, energy and environmental benefits of using ENERGY STAR(R) qualified lighting products. Regularly priced at $2.99 each, a $2 instant rebate from Ameren UE and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will enable area residents to purchase the energy efficient CFL bulbs for only 99 cents.
"Our goal with this program is to increase customer awareness of energy efficient lighting and to encourage the use of these products for homes and businesses," said Greg Lovett, Director of Products and Services for Ameren Services. "These General Electric light bulbs use one-third to one-quarter the energy and last up to 10 times longer than conventional incandescent bulbs."
This year's special compact fluorescent light bulb sale is a follow-up to similar sales held at the Energy Festival and at Missouri Botanical Garden last year. The 2003 events were so popular that more than 14,000 bulbs were sold over four days.
A similar event will be held at the Arnold, Mo., City Hall from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 21. The City Hall is located at 2101 Jeffco Blvd. in Arnold. Residents who are not able to attend either event can still take advantage the $2 rebates at participating Ace Hardware stores through Dec. 31, or while supply lasts.
For more information about the "Change a Light, Change the World" program, and an up-to-date list of participating hardware stores, visit the Ameren Web site at http://www.ameren.com and click on the Missouri Change a Light Program link. AmerenUE is Missouri's largest electric utility and third largest distributor of natural gas. It is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation.
With assets of $17 billion, Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE) owns a diverse mix of electric generating plants strategically located in its Midwest market with a capacity of more than 14,800 megawatts. Ameren serves 2.3 million electric customers and 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000 square-mile area of Missouri and Illinois.
About the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) is a regional network of organizations collaborating to promote energy efficiency. MEEA's vision is to be a leader in raising and sustaining the level of energy efficiency in the Midwest region by fostering increased market penetration of existing energy efficient technologies and promoting new technologies, products and best practices, including renewable energy.
MEEA's goal is to provide a collective voice at a national and regional level; act as a clearinghouse to identify, evaluate and create successful programs and market assessments for the region; and foster communication on effective energy policy. Formed in 1999, MEEA's strategy is to develop innovative programs that achieve measurable and verifiable results.
About the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources preserves, protects, restores and enhances Missouri's natural, cultural and energy resources and works to inspire their enjoyment and responsible use for present and future generations. For more information, visit www.dnr.mo.gov.
About Missouri Botanical Garden's EarthWays Home
The EarthWays Home, a site of the Missouri Botanical Garden, is a handsome Victorian residence built in 1885 and renovated in 1994 to showcase practical demonstrations of energy efficient systems, recycled products and waste reduction practices. Systems and products offer visitors a springboard to rethink product design and building operations and achieve affordable resource efficiency. Visitors experience hands-on applications of sustainable lifestyle choices, including lighting, appliances, insulation, finishings and furnishings, green roof technology and native plant landscaping. Many features of the EarthWays Home are readily available to homeowners for general construction and renovatio.
Missouri Botanical Garden's EarthWays Home is located at 3617 Grandel Square in the Grand Center Arts District of mid-town St. Louis. Public tours are offered on the third Friday and Saturday of every month at 10 and 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.; admission of $2 per person is free for Garden members and children 12 and under. Advance reservations for youth and adult group tours can be made online at www.earthwayshome.org. For more information call 314-577-0220.
About ENERGY STAR(R)
ENERGY STAR(R) was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. Today, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR program offers businesses and consumers energy efficient solutions to save energy and money, and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 8,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information, visit www.energystar.gov.