LED light kits will be given to 170 lucky winners
Here’s a smart energy tip for June. Complete and mail the enclosed, postage-paid entry form/business reply card for a chance to become one of several winners of our 10th Annual Energy Efficiency Makeover Contest.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas (ECA) and General Electric (GE) are pleased to announce the “Great Lighting Edition” of the contest for 2017. This year, we are commemorating the contest’s 10th consecutive year by choosing 10 winners per each of the state’s 17 electric cooperatives, or 170 overall winners.
Each winner will receive a residential lighting kit valued at about $400 that includes up to 58 GE energy-efficient LED bulbs, which is enough to retrofit most homes. Each kit will include general purpose LEDs for use with lamps and various light fixtures. Also, included are LEDs for use with indoor recessed can lights, decorative candelabras and outdoor flood lights. Winners of these kits have the potential to reduce their homes’ lighting-wattage requirement by up to approximately 3,000 watts, or 80 percent, when they exchange existing incandescent bulbs with the GE LEDs.
As a reminder, LEDs are extremely energy efficient and require a fraction of the power to emit the same number of lumens as their incandescent counterparts. They also save energy and money because of their long lifespan and lower maintenance cost. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that LEDs may have a useful life of 25,000 hours or more, while typical incandescent bulbs average around 1,000 hours. When used four hours daily, the estimated life expectancy of an LED is approximately 17 years. Another important feature of LEDs is that they emit far less heat, which is beneficial in the summer and lowers the cost for air conditioning. What’s the last thing you want in your home on a hot summer day? More heat! LEDs help reduce unwanted summer heat gain through their efficient operation.
Winners will be randomly selected from official tear-out entry form/business reply cards that are included in the July 2017 issue of Arkansas Living magazine. The entry forms/business reply cards will be available in the magazine’s July edition, as well. The cards are also available at your local co-op office. You can also enter online at www.ecahomemakeover.com. The deadline for entries is July 15. Winners will be announced by Aug. 4 and will be notified by postal mail, email and or telephone. A list of the winners will be available on the contest website and through social media.
Entrants must read and comply with the official rules of the contest. Rules are attached to the entry form/business reply card. To be eligible to win, entrants must be at least 18 years old and be a member in good standing of an Arkansas electric cooperative. All fields on the entry form must be completed, including a signature and date. Please note, limit one entry per household. Also, entries with incomplete information will be disqualified.
Enter today! And please feel free to contact me at smartenergytips@aecc.com with any energy efficiency questions. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/smartenergytips.org as well as listen to our podcasts.
Bret Curry is the residential energy marketing manager for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC), which provides wholesale power to Arkansas’ 17 electric distribution co-ops.