Logan rewarding energy efficiency

Logan city officials are hoping residents will celebrate this holiday season with a different type of Christmas lights — LED certified.

To reward those who clean out dusty old boxes of lights, and purchase the new ones, the city is prepared to offer up to $25 in incentives per person. It’s just one of several prongs to the city’s conservation program just started this year.

While the push to get people to choose more energy-efficient lights and appliances, through incentives, might seem small compared to larger-scale programs offered by Rocky Mountain Power and Questar gas, the motivation is largely the same — preserve the power on the grid, say city officials.

“Energy conservation is sort of like purchasing power,” said Emily Malik, Logan’s conservation coordinator. Malik heads the new initiative.

During the last few months the city’s unveiled several programs and more are in the works.

It started simple. The city offered a free compact fluorescent light bulb if residents signed a pledge to replace eight incandescent light bulbs with eight compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Now, the city’s also offering $20 to $35 rebates for residents who purchase Energy Wise refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines. Then there are the Christmas light rebates. Those who purchase new LED lights, keep their receipt and the UPC bar codes and fill out an application can turn in their old lights for cash. The LED lights use 90 percent less electricity, which they city stresses also means savings on residents’ electric bills.

However, some strands do look a little different.

“I would encourage people to go and view them first,” Malik said. “Color lights tend to be very similar, especially with casings. Anyone that has plain lights on the tree, it is important to see what you’re getting first. I know that the white lights are getting better and better.”

Starting Nov. 29 a tree with LED lights will be on display at the Center Court in the Cache Valley Mall, where the city will accept lights on five different dates. Those who bring in lights at the mall or to the city will also receive information on how many watts the strands were using.

Other conservation programs are in the planning stages, including a possible rebate program for installing new air conditioners, evaporative cooling and retro-fit insulation.

Eventually, the city also hopes to offer conservation incentives to the commercial sector. Appliance rebates will likely be one of the first business-related paybacks.

Source