ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- New Yorkers who decorate their homes with holiday lighting could save over $100 this holiday season with a variety of energy efficient lighting choices that are easy, safe and last longer than traditional holiday lighting.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061130/NETH016 )

In particular, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) encourages New Yorkers to use Light Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lights.

"Decorating our homes for the holidays is a tradition for many New Yorkers and there are ways we can do so without wasting energy," said Peter R. Smith, president and CEO of NYSERDA. "LED holiday lighting uses less energy than standard holiday lights, making it a more cost-effective alternative when decorating for the holidays."

LED holiday lights can burn for up to 100,000 hours, enough to last through more than 11 holiday seasons. They produce almost no heat, rarely burn out, won't overload household circuits and come in a variety of lengths, sizes, colors and styles.

"LED strings save energy and are more reliable," said Clint Ostrom, Sales Manager of LED UP Enterprise, Inc., a global supplier of energy-efficient lighting products. "The strings stay lit even if one or more of the LEDs goes out and the bulbs are easy to change."

DeGraff Bloom Custom Builders, Inc. of Charlton, NY has decorated one of their New York ENERGY STAR(R) Labeled Homes in Mechanicsville, NY with LED holiday lights. LED UP donated the holiday lights for the home, which uses approximately 30 percent less energy without the additional electrical savings.

"Building energy efficient homes just makes sense," said Anne Rockwood, production manager of DeGraff Bloom Builders. "Our customers save money every month, it reduces environmental impact, and the home is safer and more comfortable."

New Yorkers who want to pay less to light their home this holiday season should consider these alternatives:

* LED holiday lights are made from solid-state chips that convert electricity into light without using a filament or glass bulb and are a safe and economical alternative to traditional exterior lights and candles. * Cool-to-the-touch fiber optic holiday lights are a good choice for paths, trees, decks, patios and vaulted ceilings because fiber optic cables make it easier to access and maintain lights in hard-to-reach areas. * Rope lights consist of tiny incandescent lights spaced about an inch apart that are enclosed in a half-inch diameter flexible plastic tube. These lights last more than 20,000 hours and make a safe choice for decorating trees, doors and windows. * Candelabra Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) use about 80 percent less energy, produce the same lumens and generally last 10 times longer than the average incandescent bulb. They can be used in candlesticks and menorahs instead of an open flame.

In addition to using energy efficient holiday lighting, New Yorkers can make smart energy choices all year long by building to New York ENERGY STAR standards and using ENERGY STAR qualified products (see sidebar "10 Tips and Facts About Lighting"). New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes use approximately 30 percent less energy than conventionally built homes and feature improved insulation and air sealing techniques, energy-efficient windows and doors, high efficiency heating and cooling systems, well-sealed ducts, and ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and lighting.

Visit http://www.getenergysmart.org/ or call toll-free 1-877-NY-SMART for more information about energy efficient and ENERGY STAR qualified lighting, New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes, as well as other ways to save energy.

All New York Energy $mart(SM) programs are funded by a System Benefits Charge (SBC) paid by electric distribution customers of Central Hudson, Con Edison, NYSEG, National Grid, Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric. NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation established by the New York State Legislature in 1975, administers the SBC funds and programs under a cooperative agreement with the Public Service Commission.

New York Energy $mart(SM) programs are designed to lower electricity costs by encouraging energy efficiency as the State's electric utilities move to retail competition. The programs are available to electric distribution customers (residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial) who pay into the SBC.

LED UP Enterprise, Inc.

LED UP Enterprise, Inc. is a global supplier of energy efficient lighting products providing new LED (lighting emitting diode) technology for commercial and residential lighting solutions.

Degraff Bloom Custom Builders, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Degraff Bloom specializes in building quality custom homes quickly and actively participates in the New York ENERGY STAR(R) Labeled Homes Program.

SIDEBAR 10 Tips and Facts about Lighting

As part of the national ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World Campaign, NYSERDA encourages New Yorkers to replace their most used standard light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLS). ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs and fixtures use one-third the energy of traditional models and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing the most frequently used lights at home will yield the most savings. The less energy used, the less energy power plants must generate, which translates into fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Here are 10 tips and facts to give New Yorkers ideas and inspiration to make a big impact on energy use and global climate change.

1. Change five lights. Replace your home's five most frequently used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR and save more than $60 a year in energy costs. The home's five most frequently used lights typically include kitchen ceiling dome light, living room table lamp, living room floor lamp, bathroom vanity light and outdoor porch or post lamp. 2. Buy 1 instead of 10. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs and can save more than $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. (Based on a 10,000-hour CFL life and a 1,000-hour incandescent bulb.) 3. Consider the environmental savings. The typical home can generate twice as much air pollution as a car. If every U.S. household used ENERGY STAR qualified lighting in just one room, we could prevent air pollution equivalent to the emissions from 8 million cars. 4. Buy products with a comprehensive warranty. A warranty is a great way to avoid unnecessary replacement costs. ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures come with a two-year warranty -- double the industry standard. 5. Look at your fixtures. Replacing a fixture with an ENERGY STAR qualified fixture can reduce your energy bills. ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures use two-thirds less electricity and last up to 6 times longer, making it easier to deal with hard to reach fixtures. In addition, they use 70% less heat than incandescent light fixtures, helping to keep your home cooler in the summer. 6. Use dimmers. Dimmers help decrease energy costs associated with lighting. If you are looking for an ENERGY STAR qualified lighting product that works with a dimmer, be sure to see the manufacturer's product details, as many fixtures and bulbs are manufactured for use only on standard wall switches. More models compatible with dimmers continue to be designed and developed. 7. Flip a switch when leaving a room. Saving energy and money can start by not wasting energy. When you leave a room, turn off the light and see the savings. 8. Safety (and savings) first. The bulb in a halogen torchiere lamp burns at between 700 to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit -- hot enough to fry an egg. ENERGY STAR qualified torchiere bulbs not only operate at much cooler and safer temperatures, they last up to 10 times longer than standard halogen bulbs and save approximately $75 in energy and bulb replacement costs over their lifetime. 9. Put your lights on a schedule. Install timers that automatically turn lights off and on according to your needs. Use motion detectors on outdoor fixtures for safety and to prevent lights from being on all night. Look for outdoor lighting products with photocells or photo sensors that allow lights to come on only when the sun is down. All ENERGY STAR qualified outdoor fixtures come with photocells or photo sensors. 10. Start with lighting. Replacing your home's lighting with ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs and fixtures is one of the most basic steps to living more efficiently. Take it to the next level by purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and home electronics. Building a New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Home, or getting a whole-house energy efficiency makeover with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR makes sense and saves money.

Visit http://www.getenergysmart.org/ to take the ENERGY STAR Change a Light Challenge. Join the more than 110,000 who have pledged to replace at least one light at home and see the positive difference even small energy-saving actions at home can make.

ENERGY STAR(R)

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. Today, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 7,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses.

CONTACT: Mary Ingram-Schatz, +1-773-955-2126, mary@ingramschatz.com, or
Gayle Dougherty, +1-978-525-3742, gayle@haggman.com, both for NYSERDA; or
Colleen Ryan of NYSERDA, 866-NYSERDA, ext. 3359, cqr@nyserda.org

Web site: http://www.getenergysmart.org/