5,000 COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS TO BE GIVEN AWAY SATURDAY, MARCH 24

The City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon Light & Power and SaskPower have partnered to make Saskatoon a more energy-efficient community by giving away 5,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

The giveaway will take place on Saturday, March 24 at the Home Depot.  Saskatoon residents are welcome to stop by to pick up their free bulbs and speak with trained specialists about the benefits of compact fluorescent lighting.

“We want everyone in Saskatoon to know that installing ENERGY STAR® CFLs in every light fixture is one of the smartest investments they can make,” Premier Lorne Calvert said.  “Not only is it a brilliant way to save money, it is also an easy way to reduce the impact on the environment.”

“Compact fluorescent light bulbs are superior to the old incandescent bulbs in almost every way,” Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison said.  “CFLs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, are at least 66 per cent more energy-efficient than the old incandescent light bulbs, and save users up to $45 in electrical costs over the life of the bulb.  Saskatoon has set a shining example by embracing this technology.”

“We have been helping our customers save money and energy for years and we’re so pleased to partner with the City of Saskatoon, SaskPower and Saskatoon Light & Power to help them save more,” Home Depot Canada  District Manager Randy Kelly said.  “Given all the benefits of CFLs, we know that giving the residents of Saskatoon an opportunity to try them for free will make them think twice about buying incandescent bulbs.”

The giveaway features two-packs of Phillips 15-watt compact fluorescent light bulbs.  The two-packs will be distributed to the first 2,500 customers who visit the compact fluorescent light bulbs display at the Home Depot.  These compact fluorescent light bulbs are equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb, but use at least 66 per cent less energy to produce the same amount of light.  SaskPower and the City of Saskatoon volunteers will also be on hand to answer questions about compact fluorescent light bulbs, and the Home Depot will be running seminars on other energy efficient options throughout the day.

The partners are optimistic that the free compact fluorescent light bulb samples will encourage additional purchases of them within the community.  If all 5,000 bulbs in this total campaign are installed, and every one of the households involved purchased just one additional bulb, Saskatoon would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 767 tonnes every year!  That would be equivalent to taking 153 cars off the road.

The giveaway is one part of a larger campaign to promote compact fluorescent light bulb use in Saskatoon.  The City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon Light & Power and SaskPower will be giving away another 3,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs, for a total of 8,000 free bulbs, through other joint promotions over the coming months.
For more information on the giveaway, and tips on reducing energy consumption, visit the City’s website at www.saskatoon.ca, search under ‘c’ for compact fluorescent lights, or visit saskpower.com for more power savings tips and tools.

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For more information, contact:

Larry Christie
SaskPower
Regina
Phone: 306-566-3167
Email: lchristie@saskpower.com
Cell: 1-888-536-0000

Sheri Praski
City of Saskatoon Environmental Services
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-975-2487