12/09/2007
enlarge
Staff photo by Jeff Poulandfrom the Kennebec Journal
Sport of Kings
New Medicaid billing system inspires doubts among some
Christmas spirit
Guidance counselor: Dismiss complaint based on criticism of same-sex marriage
CHELSEA: 'Practice burn' provides thrill for 9-year-old
Trust eyes orchard purchase
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Bonenfant rises up Cony ranks
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
YES ON 1 BACKER REBUTS CLAIM
New system for Medicaid payments worries providers
After petition drive, Clinton police force budget will go a third time before voters
A rock musician makes trip home via Black Taxi
MADISON: After revaluation, abatement requests reviewed
Parks to have facelift
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Sweet does job for Madison
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
"How much?" the Grove Street resident asked. "Free? That's pretty good. I was just thinking about getting a bunch."
At that, Iver Lofving of Skowhegan and William Basford of Benton launched into an explanation of the benefits of the bulbs, how much energy they save, where to install them and where they can be purchased cheaply in bulk.
The two men, along with Thomas Berger of Oakland, were on a mission to interest people in saving energy -- beginning with spiral, energy-efficient light bulbs.
Calling their effort "The Light Brigade," the men had collected nearly $160 in donations to purchase bulbs and other people had purchased the light bulbs and donated them, according to Basford.
"We had 70 at the (Universalist Unitarian) church and another 80 to give away door-to-door," Basford said. Among big donors was John D. Joseph, who gave $100 toward the bulbs, he said.
On Saturday the three men met at Jorgensen's restaurant on Main Street and set out to deliver the bulbs free of charge, figuring it would take about two hours. They will deliver more as they become available.
People such as Bouchard and Chastity Stewart agreed the time has come to be more energy conscious.
"Thank you. I think this a good thing to help save energy," Stewart said. "We already have a couple of these in our bathroom."
The men are members of the Central Maine Peak Oil Group, which meets at 10:45 a.m. the first Sunday of every month at the church in Waterville to determine ways to curb energy use in central Maine.
"One of the best ways to save a lot of electricity is to install a compact, fluorescent bulb," Lofving said. "It will save up to $80 of electricity in its lifetime and it only costs about a dollar after rebate. We hope to figure out ways to beat this energy crisis. Working together, we can."
Basford said he and the others in the group recognized the pending decline in oil production more than a year ago and said "it is right on schedule.
"We started a year and half ago when the state announced incentives for the innovative photo-voltaic solar panels," Basford said. At that time, he said the cost for the panels for a home in Waterville was estimated at $20,000. The light bulbs are far better bargain, he said.
"You save 100 times the electricity for each $1 invested," Basford said. Each bulb provides 10,000 hours, he said. Typically, it will last five to seven years.
The energy efficient bulb is only one of many ways to save money, but it opens people's minds to the possibilities, the trio said.
People can insulate homes and water tanks, install energy-efficient windows, fix water drips and leaks, buy energy-saving cars, turn the heat down, and before they know it, their costs will go down -- and so does the drain on the country's energy reserves.
Berger said Smart Cars are scheduled to be unveiled in February, get 60 miles to a gallon of fuel and cost between $12,000 and $13,000. And LED Christmas lights, he said, use one-tenth the energy that regular bulbs do and cost about $8 a string.
"And Santa can still find your house," Lofving joked.
Berger said he has a large house near a lake that he super insulated and now it costs him only $250 a year to heat the entire home.
Lofving said he, too, made energy changes, saving energy costs of about $2,500 a year.
"Now we can still go to a movie or eat out once in a while," Lofving said. "It allows us to live in the lifestyle we have become accustomed to. You can live a decent life with a lot less energy --now is the time.
Darla L. Pickett -- 474-9534, Ext. 341
dpickett@centralmaine.com
Reader comments
Sort by: Oldest First | Newest first
WHY is there NO MENTION of this in the story, or is that reserved only for the well-to-do. that don't need it in the first place.report abuse
Reserved for the well-to-do? They costs less than $3 each today. Roughly two for about the cost of a pack of cigarettes. You save money in the end too, not just on energy savings but because they last so long. I have some that are over 15 years old and still work.
I changed over to these exclusively when I got tired of replacing incandescent bulbs all the time. Especially handy for those hard to reach places.
Why not produce illumination at a fraction of the cost? CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs.report abuse
Show all 14 comments
You must be a registered user of MaineToday.com to post a comment. Register or log in.