| ign="center"> | | | | Carbon Dioxide emissions reduction |
| Have all the changes in light bulb technology left | | | | Water conservation |
| you in the dark? Never fear, because | | | | Providing Energy Advice |
| governments around the world are working hard | | | | Free light bulb offers |
| to provide not only information, but money. | | | | Solar Voltaics |
| Financial assistance in the forms of grants and tax | | | | Ground/Air source heat pumps |
| incentives provide homeowners and businesses | | | | Small Hydro |
| alike a chance to make a change to greener, | | | | Wind Turbines |
| more cost-effective lighting â and other | | | | Free Light Bulbs |
| technologies. | | | | Whether it improves energy consumption on a |
| Did you know that over 30% of the average | | | | small or large scale, a grant probably exists to |
| homeowner's electric bill only covers the cost of | | | | cover it. |
| lighting? For most traditional homes using | | | | How Do I Know If I'm Eligible to Receive a |
| incandeescent, or Edison-style light bulbs, much of | | | | Government Grant for Energy Savings? |
| that high use of wattage actually escapes in the | | | | âFuel Povertyâ indicates a good |
| form of heat. | | | | candidate for household grant awardees. Grant |
| By contrast, newer lighting technologies such as | | | | eligibility sometimes goes to people who: |
| Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL's) and Light | | | | Are on income support |
| Emitting Diodes (LED) burn less heat, and less | | | | Receive housing benefits |
| money. | | | | Receive other government allowances such |
| What is the Purpose of Offering Grants? | | | | asdisability |
| Global trends in greening practices and increasing | | | | Are on war pensions |
| energy efficiency, as well as economic challenges, | | | | Receive child tax credits |
| compel governments to cut back on waste. | | | | Are on welfare |
| Because change sometimes comes too slowly, | | | | Are on other pension or state support credits |
| governments create programs to not only inform | | | | From the local level to national, and from |
| societies, but to provide incentives for people to | | | | households to factories, build projects to |
| get over that hurdle of technical innovation. | | | | alternative fuels, a grant exists to cover your |
| Plans for distribution of CFL and LED bulbs exist in | | | | transition to energy-saving technology. Research |
| order to create a more environmentally-friendly | | | | municipal, county, state or national government |
| and cost-effective trend on a large scale. | | | | websites for more specific information for your |
| Just as a powerful river conists of small drops | | | | needs; rest assured it probably exists, waiting for |
| moving in the same direction, society can help | | | | your application. |
| itself along through offering these grants and | | | | Are There Any Small Scale Offers Available? |
| incentives to people complacent with the familiar, | | | | The answer is simply, certainly. Some |
| inefficient incandescent bub. | | | | governments work with energy product |
| What Kind of Grants are Available? | | | | companies to create incentive programs and |
| Grants come in sizes large and small, and even | | | | promotional offers that benefit the average |
| pocket-sized. While some cover specific | | | | consumer. Such offers might promote a |
| energy-use transitions, others provide for more | | | | conversion to compact fluorescent lighting, for |
| general energy-conversions around properties | | | | instance. |
| both commercial and domestic. These might | | | | These types of bulbs can benefit the elderly, who |
| cover half a build project cost or involve broader | | | | may not have changed out their old bulbs for |
| additions to properties, such as conversions to | | | | years (indeed, some incandescents can burn for |
| wind power, solar voltaics, wood pellet heating | | | | centuries). Daunted by the initial cost of |
| systems, and more. | | | | replacement, they may balk at the task of |
| While property owners can apply for multiple | | | | making the change. However when the lighting bill |
| grants per technology, a single grant's per | | | | arrives, they soon sing a different tune. |
| household cap might limit their access. For | | | | What Kind of Savings Can New Lighting Provide? |
| example, a grant program might cover various | | | | To compare light bulb savings, you would have to |
| appliances with a maximum household limit. | | | | consider various costs: initial purchase costs, |
| However, new grant programs continue to be | | | | energy usage amounts and costs, bulb lifetime |
| offered at the national, state and county level. | | | | hours, as well as the number of replacement |
| Who is Eligible to Get Light Bulb Grants? | | | | bulbs you would have to buy over a period of |
| Often given on a first-come, first-served basis, | | | | time. |
| grant programs award everyone from the | | | | Generally speaking, incandescents are the |
| corporation to the little old lady down the street. | | | | cheapest to buy and most expensive to run, and |
| However, in the US, federal agencies, nonprofit | | | | need replacing the most often. CFL's cost slightly |
| organizations and Federally Funded R&D Center | | | | higher, rarely need to be replaced, and can cost a |
| Contractors operate under a different set of tax | | | | third of the incandescent over its life. LED's are |
| codes. | | | | more expensive (though inevitably will come down |
| Grant offers vary between regions; not only are | | | | in price); they require almost no replacing, but and |
| governments offering them, but also private | | | | will cost about half the price of the incandescent |
| corporations, such as major light bulb | | | | for the first decades; after that, they beat out all |
| manufacturers. Therefore eligibility depends upon | | | | others hands down. In terms of energy use, |
| the conditions of each particular grant. From the | | | | LED's reign supreme. |
| elderly to the poor, to the construction company | | | | Why Are Governments Around the World Phasing |
| and major office building, such financial and | | | | Out Incandescent Bulbs? |
| equipment incentives hold promise. | | | | In order to cut social energy costs and |
| What Are the Differences in Light Bulb | | | | overdependence on existing energies, |
| Technology? | | | | governments in the EU, North America, Australia |
| Incandescents are the traditional bulbs which burn | | | | and Asia promote a widespread shift away from |
| hot using a fragile tungsten filament. | | | | incandescents â sometimes to the |
| These are the cheapest, most common and least | | | | chagrin of their populaces. |
| energy-efficient way to light a property. Over | | | | Their purposes can be attributed to increased |
| time they are also the costliest. | | | | environmental awareness, as well as developed |
| CFL's utilize fluorescent lighting techniques to burn | | | | economic realities. New light bulb grants and the |
| cooler and use less energy doing so. Since they | | | | like exist in order to ease populations into better |
| are priced slightly above incandescents, you can | | | | energy usage habits. |
| find them occupying more and more lighting | | | | Of course, manufacturers benefit as well. |
| spaces around the home, city and country. | | | | Economies can be stimulated with a transition to a |
| LED's represent the wave of the future. Solid | | | | new technology; however if this is the purpose, it |
| state electronic diodes, these durable, | | | | can't last for long. New bulb technologies require |
| highly-efficient lights can be created in a rainbow | | | | so little replacing that any economic gain from |
| of dazzling colors. While higher in cost, their | | | | using them will be washed out in the decades it |
| longterm life spans and high efficiency make them | | | | takes for a CFL or LED to âburn |
| a clear longterm better choice. | | | | outâ. |
| Is Applying for a Light Bulb Grant Difficult? | | | | Whether you're facing another cold winter, building |
| Of course applying for any grant involves | | | | a new home, upgrading an older home, developing |
| establishing eligibility according to various criteria, | | | | a new building project, or living alone with a hot |
| and can sometimes be a confusing process. | | | | plate and a single bulb, a government grant |
| The process can consist of multiple steps or | | | | probably waits for you to take advantage. |
| stages, as well as assessment of unique individual | | | | Converting your home from incandescent light |
| circumstances. | | | | bulbs to CFL or LED might seem expensive at |
| When you combine these sometimes involved | | | | first blush; but with a little incentive to try it, you'll |
| procedures with the wide array of available grant | | | | soon find the process easy, familiar and painless. |
| offers from so many different agencies, it might | | | | You'll likely wonder why you hadn't tried it before |
| daunt someone from even trying to obtain one. | | | | now. So take advantage of the financial |
| However don't let that stop you. Not only do | | | | assistance and make a change in your bank |
| government offices work hard to simplify the | | | | account and in the environment. |
| process as much as possible for the general | | | | Visit this site to read about GE light bulbs. |
| populace, but other private grant-assisting | | | | Report this article |
| agencies provide services to help make the | | | | This article is copyright |
| process as painless as possible. | | | | Source: |
| What Other Energy-Saving Grants Are Available? | | | | |
| Some grants contain a package of energy saving | | | | |
| techniques into a single grant. Some might include: | | | | Ask a Question About this Article |
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