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9,000 Saint Lucian households benefit from reduction in electricity bills

Contact: Adhara King

Monday, March 23, 2009 – Ninety thousand incandescent light bulbs collected from communities around the island have been destroyed as part of a campaign to replace these high energy consuming devices with more efficient energy saving bulbs.

The initiative, being carried out chiefly by the Ministry of Public Utilities, has entered phase two of its development.

Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Ivor Daniel said: “We’re expected to cover about 50, 000 households; so far we’ve been able to distribute about one third of that and this is an average of 12,000 households. We’ve just witnessed the destruction of 90,000 light bulbs, which on average is about 9 bulbs per household—so it's an average of 9,000 households that have received new energy saving light bulbs and should now be realizing a reduction in their electricity bills.”

The demolition signals progress into the second phase of the project. This phase includes the receipt of some three hundred and eight thousand light bulbs by the Government of Saint Lucia, from the Government of Cuba.

The project was piloted in the communities of Anse La Raye and Canaries. To date, residents of Micoud, Dennery, Choiseul, Babonneau, Soufriere and Laborie have also benefited.

“In this phase, we’re expected to get the support of the town and village councils and other voluntary groups and organizations. So far, in the communities that we’ve visited, we’ve seen the sort of support that we’re expecting. With the impact that it’s creating on the communities that have been served, we expect that as we move—for example, we’re moving to Babonneau this weekend—we expect to see a greater turnout from the residents as well as volunteers who wish to come forward,” Daniel said.

The project has engaged other ministries including the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of the Environment in creating a holistic approach to the need to create a more green society.

Persons wishing to exchange their incandescent light bulbs to energy saving light bulbs can visit the Ministry of Communications, Works Transport and Public Utlities from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is advised that persons walk with a recent light bill and valid ID card.

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