Program Aims at Energy Conservation

Low-income residents in southwest Baltimore County may be eligible for a program that provides free energy-efficient lights and other energy-saving products that can save hundreds of dollars each year.

Lauren Stoler, of Project Lightbulb, said that the organization is looking for up to 200 households in the Arbutus, Lansdowne and Baltimore Highlands for the program.

Homeowners who qualify may receive 15 CFL lightbulbs (which use 15 percent less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs), a low-flow shower head, aerators that reduce water consumption of kitchen and bathroom faucets, a water heater wrap that can reduce standby heat loss by 45 percent, and water-pipe insulation that reduces the loss heat through pipes.

A home modified with the free energy-saving products can save up to $200 a year on utility bills, Stoler said.

Project Lightbulb is an initiative of Civic Works--Baltimore’s urban service corps and an AmeriCorps program--and is funded by the Maryland Energy Administration.

To date, more than 3,000 homes in Baltimore have benefitted from Project Lightbulb, according to the Civic Works web site.

Stoler said the organization recently began offering the energy-saving program in the county. Arbutus, Lansdowne and Baltimore Highlands are among the areas being targeted, she said.

"We really want to get these in the hands of lower income people," she said at the recent Southwest Leadership Team meeting at Arbutus Branch Library.

For more information about the project, call 410-366-8533 ext. 221 or send email to lightbulb@civicworks.com.