REGION: LED light exchange a bright idea for holidays
Think of incandescent Christmas lights as the canary yellow push-button phone mounted on the wall in grandma’s kitchen.
Now think of LED holiday lights as the slim, stylish smart phone your 12-year-old is pining for this holiday season.
What if somehow you could trade in the old model for the new -- straight up.
That’s the idea behind a program allowing residents to exchange strands of old incandescent holiday lights for LED strands at upcoming holiday celebrations in Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Wildomar and Norco.
“People use a lot of Christmas lights,” said Barbara Spoonhour, director of energy and environmental programs for the Western Riverside Council of Government. The council, along with Southern California Edison and others, form the Western Riverside Energy Partnership Leadership, which is exchanging the lights.
But don’t expect to trade in dozens of strands. Two strands -- consisting of 50 lights or more -- are allowed per customer. And fair warning: the lights have to be in working order.
“We have 100 sets for each event,” said Spoonhour. “I imagine they will go fast.”
The goal, Spoonhour said, is to bring awareness to the ability to cut electic bills, even when a home is adorned with thousands of tiny lights this time of year.
“We want to educate people on how they can reduce their energy bills,” she said. “Because the cost of energy will continue to go up.”
Incandescent bulbs are identified by the thin wire filament that lights when it is charged by electric current. LED -- light-emitting diode -- lights contain an electrical device that is activated by electric current. Studies have shown that LED lights burn brighter, last longer and consume less electricity than incandescent bulbs.
“They are Energy Star certified so they’re going to be about 80 percent more efficient,” said Tyler Masters, a WRCOG staff analyst.
The first of the five local holiday celebrations is the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Menifee on Friday, Dec. 5.
Those interested in participating in the light exchange must bring a recent Southern California Edison bill and a picture ID for the person whose name is on the bill.
After Menifee, holiday light exchanges are set for the Lake Elsinore Winterfest and the Murrieta Festival of Trees and Pushcart Parade on Dec. 6; and the Wildomar Breakfast with Santa and Norco Parade of Light and Winter Festival on Dec. 13.
“Some of the details we have to work out with each of the cities,” said Spoonhour.
Similar programs have been tried in the San Gabriel Valley and South Bay, officials said.
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