AmerenUE \- Missouri's largest utility \- and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources are holding a special bulb sale and offering CFLs for as little as $0.99 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 18 at the EarthWays Center, 3617 Grandel Square, in Midtown St. Louis.
Residents are encouraged to replace their home's five most frequently used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, with ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs. In the average home, the most frequently used fixtures are in the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom and master bathroom. By making this change, an area household can save more than $60 a year in energy costs.
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 qualified lighting products.
Through the sale \- part of the EarthWays Energy and Recycling Festival \- AmerenUE and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources are helping Missouri residents make the simple switch to energy efficient lighting by offering up to a $2 instant rebate on ENERGY STAR qualified CFL purchases of 6 bulbs or less. With the instant rewards, the bulbs will sell for as little as $0.99.
"We're proud to support an event that benefits St. Louis residents in so many ways," said Glenda Abney, program manager of the EarthWays Center. "Changing a light bulb is so simple, but it has a big impact on our utility bills, our energy consumption and the quality of our air and water. If every household in Missouri replaced just one incandescent bulb with a CFL, it would reduce the state's annual electricity consumption by more than 144 million kilowatt-hours \- enough to light 14,484 homes."
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. By replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL, a household will save at least $30 in energy costs over the lifetime of the bulb. As for environmental benefits, if every household in Missouri replaced just one light bulb, it would prevent the emission of more than 347 million pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere \- the equivalent in air pollution to taking 23,392 cars off the road.
"Our goal with this program is to increase customer awareness of energy efficient lighting and to encourage the use of these products," said Richard Mark, AmerenUE senior vice president, Missouri Energy Delivery.
The program was developed as part of a settlement approved in 2002 by the Missouri Public Service Commission and other parties. An outside contractor \- Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) \- will provide all marketing and administrative support in partnership with GE Lighting and participating hardware stores. AmerenUE will cover a portion of the rebate costs and pay the MEEA management fees.
For more information about the "Change a Light, Change the World" program, contact MEEA at 888-476-9548 or visit the MEEA Web site at www.mwalliance.org/cal2005.
About AmerenUE
AmerenUE is Missouri's largest electric utility and third largest distributor of natural gas. It is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation. AmerenUE operates nine power plants and provides energy services to 1.1 million electric customers and 110,000 natural gas customers in eastern Missouri, including the St. Louis area. For more information, visit www.ameren.com.
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 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 EarthWays Center
EarthWays Center is an offsite location and division of Missouri Botanical Garden. A three story Victorian home, it was built in 1885 and renovated in 1994 to be a model of energy and resource efficiency. Public tours are available on the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. For more information visit www.earthwayscenter.org or call 314-577-0220.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR 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, 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.
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