A Gift of Green: OPALCO Energy Efficient Kits Arriving by Mail

OPALCO sent out free energy efficiency kits in brown boxes from Niagara Conservation Co. to more than 6,800 members who live full-time in OPALCO’s service territory. The kits were paid for by Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) Conservation Rate Credit program—designed to encourage conservation of regional energy resources. The kits contain:

March 20, 2009 8:51 pm

OPALCO sent out free energy efficiency kits in brown boxes from Niagara Conservation Co. to more than 6,800 members who live full-time in OPALCO’s service territory. The kits were paid for by Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) Conservation Rate Credit program—designed to encourage conservation of regional energy resources. The kits contain:

(2) 23-watt (100 watt equivalent) new-generation Energy Star rated compact fluorescent lightbulbs

(2) 20-watt (75 watt equivalent) new-generation Energy Star rated compact fluorescent lightbulbs

(1) 13 watt (60 watt equivalent) new-generation Energy Star rated compact fluorescent lightbulb

(2) low-flow showerheads

(1) kitchen faucet aerator

(1) bathroom faucet aerator

And tips for conserving energy and water

What value do the kits bring to members?

The life of a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) is 10,000 hours – 13 times longer than an incandescent bulb. The value to members by the numbers (using OPALCO’s retail rate @ $0.0758 per kWh): Over the life of one 23-watt compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) there is a savings of 770 kilowatt hours (kWh) – which equates to $58.00 in the members’ pockets. If you replace five incandescent bulbs in your home with all five CFLs included in the kit, you will save some 3,110 kWh and $236 over the life of the bulb. If 6,000 members install just one of the four 23-watt CFLs there would be a combined savings of 4,620,000 kWh over the life of the bulbs – which equates to $350,000 in savings.

If 4,620 OPALCO homes that use an average of 1,000 kWh per month participated, the savings over the course of a year for each member would equate to an average month’s bill. If 6,000 members install all five CFLs, there would be a Co-op wide savings of 18,660,000 kWh and $1,414,440.

Low-flow showerheads and efficient aerators not only save water, but electricity that runs pumps and most significantly hot water heating. According to BPA, the average energy savings per low-flow showerhead installed is 223 kWh per year. If 6,000 members installed two low-flow showerheads, the savings would equal 2,676,000 kWh and $220,840.