Energy Revolution Promised as ENERGY STAR “Change A Light” Bus Comes to Boston’s Faneuil Hall Sat. Oct. 20

EPA’s 10-city national Energy Star “Change A Light” bus tour will stop at Boston’s Historic Faneuil Hall this Saturday, October 20, between noon and 4:00 p.m. offering residents and visitors alike a great opportunity to learn how using energy efficiently in our homes can save money and prevent greenhouse gas emissions. The 5,000-mile tour started Oct. 3 at Disneyland Resorts in Anaheim, CA and will end Oct. 23 in New York City.

“Visiting the bus is a fun way to learn about energy-efficient lighting - an easy, effective and money-saving first step to help fight climate change,” said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Both kids and adults will learn how to make a difference. Changing your light bulbs saves energy and helps our environment.”

The bus, provided by Motor Coach Industries, is a state-of-the-art motor coach featuring a 2007 EPA model clean diesel engine powered by ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. The engine is fitted with a diesel particulate filter, which reduces particulate matter emissions by 90%. The bus is a reminder that we can reduce impact on the climate by taking public transportation when possible.

The public is invited to join EPA and the bus at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Osram Sylvania will hand out free ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs to the first 1,776 people who take the ENERGY STAR Change a Light pledge – in honor of the United States’ revolutionary history and to herald the energy efficiency revolution sweeping New England and the nation. Walk through the bus’ outdoor ENERGY STAR Change a Light Education Center, co-sponsored by JCPenney to see for yourself why choosing energy-efficient lighting is an effective way to save energy at home.

Education Center visitors will experience first-hand the wide variety of Energy Star qualified light bulbs and fixtures available today, learn how to choose the right light for the right place in their home, and discover how and where to dispose of compact fluorescent lighting at end-of-life.

ENERGY STAR qualified lighting uses 25% of the energy required by standard lighting, and lasts up to ten times longer. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures are available in hundred of styles, for indoor and outdoor use.

If every American home replaced just one light bulb or fixture with ENERGY STAR equivalents, every year, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes, save more than $600 million in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. Based on New England’s energy prices, by replacing the 5 light fixtures used most often – or the bulbs in them - with ENERGY STAR qualified models, consumers can save more than $70 every year in energy costs.

The average home can be responsible for more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the average car. Using ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent bulbs is a simple positive step towards protecting our environment from the risks of global climate change. Here are some other steps anyone can take to make their homes more efficient:

- Use a programmable thermostat to adjust room temperatures to energy saving mode overnight or when no one is home.
- Use ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, consumer electronics, lighting, and more.
- Plant trees around your home. Three trees, properly planted around your house can save between $100 and $200 annually in cooling and heating costs.
- Just in time to prepare for winter, you can replace old windows with ENERGY STAR models that are certified to better insulate your home.
- One of the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy bills, reduce uncomfortable cold drafts, and avoid potential moisture problems in the winter is to air-seal holes, cracks and openings in your home and then add insulation to stop the flow of heat through the walls and ceiling.
- Learn more at energystar.gov

CFLs contain a tiny amount of mercury, sealed within the glass tubing. Improvements in technology are continuing to decrease the amount of mercury used in CFLs. Handling them like normal light bulbs will help prevent breakage. The following steps can help protect your health if you do break a CFL bulb: Open nearby windows for 15 minutes or more; Use disposable rubber gloves and wipe area clean with a damp cloth; Dispose of the bag, gloves, used paper towels in 2 sealed plastic bags and dispose of as household hazardous waste.

Additional sponsors of the Bus Tour in Boston include:
- City of Boston
- Department of Energy
- EPA New England
- MYENERGYSTAR.com, including National Grid, NSTAR, Cape Light Compact, Connecticut Light and Power, Efficiency Vermont, Western Mass Electric, and Unitil
- The Freedom Trail Foundation