You Can Be a Part of the Energy Solution
From The Governor’s Desk: A weekly column by Gov. Joe Manchin
October is Energy Awareness Month. This month also marks the return of Energy Star’s national “Change a Light, Change the World” campaign. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Its mission is to help our citizens save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
Energy Star’s national “Change a Light” challenge encourages each of us replace at least one traditional incandescent light bulb with an energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). You can take the Change a Light pledge online at
www.energystar.gov.
Incandescent lights have brightened American homes since Thomas Edison invented the first successful version around 1879. Today, a 22-watt Energy-Star-approved CFL has about the same light output as a 75-watt incandescent. CFLs cost more than traditional incandescent bulbs, but use 75 percent less energy and can last 10 times longer.
We’ve already replaced several of the bulbs in the Governor’s Mansion with CFLs. More than 3,300 West Virginians have taken the pledge and changed more than 8,000 light bulbs at an energy saving cost of over $211,000.
The average home has 30 incandescent lights. The five highest-use fixtures in a home are typically the kitchen ceiling lights, the living room or family room table and floor lamps, and outdoor porch or post lamp. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that replacing the five most frequently used traditional lights with comparable CFLs can help homeowners achieve energy savings of $60 annually.
If all the households in West Virginia replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star bulb, the combined individual efforts would save up to 39 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That is enough energy to light all the households in Charleston, W.Va., for more than 170 days. The amount of energy saved would reduce household electrical bills by a combined total of $2.4 million a year.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL, it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 800,000 cars.
Incandescent lights have brightened American homes since Thomas Edison invented the first successful version around 1879. Today, a 22-watt Energy-Star-approved CFL has about the same light output as a 75-watt incandescent. CFLs cost more than traditional incandescent bulbs, but use 75 percent less energy and can last 10 times longer.
We’ve already replaced several of the bulbs in the Governor’s Mansion with CFLs. More than 3,300 West Virginians have taken the pledge and changed more than 8,000 light bulbs at an energy saving cost of over $211,000.
The average home has 30 incandescent lights. The five highest-use fixtures in a home are typically the kitchen ceiling lights, the living room or family room table and floor lamps, and outdoor porch or post lamp. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that replacing the five most frequently used traditional lights with comparable CFLs can help homeowners achieve energy savings of $60 annually.
If all the households in West Virginia replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star bulb, the combined individual efforts would save up to 39 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That is enough energy to light all the households in Charleston, W.Va., for more than 170 days. The amount of energy saved would reduce household electrical bills by a combined total of $2.4 million a year.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL, it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 800,000 cars.
In July 2007, the state Legislature created the West Virginia Division of Energy. The agency’s mission is to help lead the state and the nation toward energy independence. The division promotes energy efficiency programs such as Ride Share, Energy Star, alternative fuels, recycling and more. For details on these programs and tips for saving energy, visit
With a change as small as a light bulb, you can make a big difference.
posted by Charleston West Virginia Economic Development
@ 11:06 AM
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