Maryland residents could save both energy and money next time they turn a light on.
Supported by the Maryland Energy Administration, a nationwide initiative is under way courtesy of Energy Star, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, to get each household in America to change one normal light bulb to an energy-efficient version.
With the “Change a Bulb, Change the World” program, Maryland residents have already saved a reported $417,275 in energy costs and 6.6 million pounds of greenhouse gases by changing one light bulb in their homes to one certified by Energy Star.
“It?s easy to do, and in the long run people will save money very quickly by changing out a light bulb or multiple light bulbs,” said Walt Auburn, the assistant director of energy efficiency for the MEA. “The savings will occur within four to six months.”
Estimations provided by Energy Start and the Maryland Energy Administration contend that if each person in the state changed a bulb in his or her homes to a more energy-efficient version, there would be enough energy saved to light all the homes in Annapolis for more than three years, while saving household electric bills nearly $9 million per year.
Baltimore Gas andElectric is in the process of launching its Smart Energy Savers ProgramSM with support from the Maryland Public Service Commission. The program is a three-pronged attack, based on regulating the amount of utilities that a home uses, both lowering bills and helping the environment.
“BGE is very committed to the environment,” said Linda Foy, a spokeswoman for BGE. “It?s estimated that this Smart Energy Savers Program alone will reduce greenhouse gasses by 2.1 billion pounds per year over 20 years.”
The first part of the plan, getting smart thermostats out to consumers, has already received the support of the PSC. The other two legs, installing smart meters and enacting energy efficiency programs, are coming soon.
