SEF / DEP Illuminating Education Fundraising Program
The Rising Cost of Electricity
Electricity generation rate caps will expire within the PPL service territory as of December 31, 2009. Rate caps are also expiring for all other PA electric companies. An electric company’s generation costs can represent upwards of 70% of your electricity bill. It is anticipated that expiring rate caps will lead to increasing electricity costs throughout the state. Implementing energy saving measures now is an important step in reducing electricity costs. Changing an incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb is one small but smart way to save money!
About the SEF Illuminating Education Fundraiser
The Sustainable Energy Fund is managing the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) “Illuminating Education Program” – a fundraiser that is profitable, fun, and energy efficient! Students can sell compact fluorescent light bulbs as an alternative to traditional fundraising products, while contributing toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping families save money on utility bills!
Schools set the bulb retail sales price and retain any funds raised above the bulb cost. At the suggested retail price of $5.00 per CFL, your school or youth organization would raise $2.50 for each bulb sold.
DEP’s Illuminating Education Program
DEP’s Illuminating Education Program encourages students to consider the link between energy consumption from day-to-day activities, the environmental impacts associated with energy use, and the economic opportunities available when energy efficient practices are adopted. This Link between energy, environment, and economics can be demonstrated to students through the process of comparing compact fluorescent lights to incandescent lights in classroom activities. As part of Illuminating Education, DEP is looking for teachers interested in adapting lesson plans to their classroom curriculum (see link below). DEP will provide compact fluorescent light bulbs to teachers, (for distribution to parents only) to reward the students who completed the lighting lesson plan and associated classroom activities.
Teachers: Download Lesson Plans here!
About Energy Star CFLs
- ENERGY STAR qualified CFL bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
- Saves about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
- Produces about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
- Are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors.
(Source: Energy Star website)
Energy Star’s “Change a Light Change the World” Campaign is a national call-to-action to encourage individuals to help change the world, one light-energy saving step at a time. Click below to learn more about how you can pledge to help:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=change_light.changealight_index
What are the benefits of an Energy Star CFL fundraiser?
- Students earn money for their schools and special activities!
- The community saves money in electricity costs by switching from incandescent light bulbs to CFLs!
- Everyone has the opportunity to help the environment. One CFL can eliminate 660 pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the environment per year.
Getting Your CFL Fundraiser Started – It’s Easy!!
Step 1: Get Prequalified (teachers and/or fundraising coordinators): Download qualification form to receive approval to participate in the Sustainable Energy Fund’s Illuminating Education Fundraiser.
Step 2: Download Student Order Forms: Download and print student order forms to use for Individual fundraising (insert link here). Begin Fundraising!
Step 3: Group Order Forms: After fundraising, total up student order forms and tally on Group order form. Submit group order form to the SEF. Order forms may be faxed to the Sustainable Energy Fund at 610-264-4949. Contact the SEF at 610-264-4440, for ordering CFLs.
** Important Note**: CFLs will be delivered to your school or organization about 2 weeks after placing your order. Fundraising coordinators will be responsible for coordinating distribution of the CFL bulbs to purchasers. Please note a minimum order of one case (40 CFL bulbs) must be placed to participate. Any number of cases can be ordered (multiples of 40 CFL bulbs). Sorry, we cannot ship split-case quantities.