Tennessee Celebrates Change a Light Day In Recognition of Energy Awareness Month
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October is Energy Awareness Month and Governor Phil Bredesen and Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber are encouraging Tennesseans to participate in Change a Light Day on Oct. 3 as part of the ENERGY STAR “Change a Light, Change the World” campaign. This national challenge encourages every American to help change the world, one light, one energy-saving step at a time.
Tennesseans are asked to change at least one light to an energy-efficient bulb that has earned the ENERGY STAR label, designating products that meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Switching to energy-efficient lighting is one of the easiest, most immediate and effective ways Tennesseans can start saving energy, while also protecting our environment,” said Governor Bredesen. “Making smart energy choices will not only positively impact our quality of life today, but also preserve our energy resources for generations to come.”
Citizens can take the ENERGY STAR Change a Light Pledge by completing an online form to commit to being more energy-efficient and use at least one ENERGY STAR qualified light bulb in their home. More than 500,000 people in all 50 states and U.S. territories have taken the pledge, committing to change more than one million lights. To take the ENERGY STAR Change a Light Pledge, please visit www.energystar.gov/changealight.
“I encourage everyone to take the Change a Light Pledge and switch one incandescent bulb with an ENERGY STAR bulb,” said Commissioner Kisber. “This one simple act can make a huge difference to Tennessee by reducing the amount of energy we consume, increasing the money we save and protecting our climate.”
Lighting accounts for nearly 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill. ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. If every Tennessean replaced one bulb, we would save close to $9 million in energy costs, prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 16,000 cars from Tennessee roadways and save enough energy to light all the households in the city of Nashville for nearly 100 days.
The theme for this year’s Energy Awareness Month is “Clean and Green: For a Secure Energy Future,” encouraging consumers to make wise choices to save energy, money and resources. By choosing and using energy wisely, quality of life is improved and diverse, reliable and affordable energy sources are secured for the future.
