Light Bulbs Donated to Help Families in Need
Brenda DiCarlo, Southern Maryland Food Bank director, shows the contents of a pantry bag which includes CFL light bulbs donated by SMECO.
Southern Maryland Food Bank works to help families in need, and not just when it comes to food. Recently, the food bank partnered with Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative to help families with limited resources reduce their energy costs. SMECO donated 30,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs to the food bank, and they will be used to help customer-members save money and energy. The donation is part of the co-op’s participation in EmPOWER Maryland, which is designed to reduce energy consumption in the state of Maryland.
CFLs certified by Energy Star use about 75 percent less energy than traditional bulbs and last up to 25 times longer. Replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL can save up to $50 in electricity during the lifetime of the bulb.
“Lighting upgrades are an easy and effective way customers can better manage energy costs,” said Jeff Shaw, SMECO’s vice president of distributed energy and sustainability. “We want customers to learn more about saving energy because that’s an expense they need to manage. And when every dollar counts, they can put those savings to good use for other household needs.”
“Providing food is just the beginning when it comes to helping families on tight budgets,” said Brenda DiCarlo, the director of the Southern Maryland Food Bank. “Making small changes like installing energy-efficient lightbulbs helps money go a lot further every month.” The bulbs are being distributed along with normal care packages provided by Southern Maryland Food Bank.
Find additional information and updates about SMECO’s energy efficiency programs by visiting www.smeco.coop/save or by calling 1-888-440-3311.
The SMECO 24/7 mobile app is available on SMECO’s website.
To learn more about Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, please visit its Leader member page.
