Utility offers free trade-in to efficient Christmas lights

Help the environment, save money, and donate to charity in one fell tiffany swoop by trading in traditional Christmas lights for high efficiency bulbs at one of two North County events this month.

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. will trade strings of light-emitting diodes for customers’ strings of conventional Christmas lights for no fee. There will be seven trade-in events in San Diego County, with two in the area: From 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday at Oceanside Sunset Market, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Rancho Guajome Adobe County Park in Vista.

SDG&E said the highly efficient LEDs will save an average customer $4.69 tiffany pendants a month and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing electricity demand.

The program is funded by ratepayers through the California Public Utilities Commission. A spokesman for Southern California Edison, which powers Southwest Riverside County, said the utility has no Christmas light swap.

SDG&E has 20,000 strings to trade. They’ve also arranged for some local stores to sell LED Christmas tiffany earrings lights at a discount.

A recycler will pay a fee for the strings of old bulbs, which SDG&E will donate to Stand Up for Kids, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that helps homeless children.

Credit: North County Times, Escondido, Calif.