They say there's no such thing as a free lunch - but in Tūrangi on Saturday, there is such a thing as free lightbulbs.
The giveaway of five free LED ecobulbs per household, worth at least $100, comes from the King Country Electric Power Trust. Some 10,000 King Country homes in Tūrangi, Taumarunui and Ohakune should have received a letter from the Trust this week, with a voucher for five free, latest generation Ecobulb LED energy-saving light bulbs. The bulbs last up to 30 years and use up to 90 per cent less electricity than the inefficient light bulbs they replace.
Tūrangi -based Trustee Sandra Greenslade says many people are unaware that cheap incandescent lightbulbs cost a fortune long term as they use much more power than an energy-efficient LED bulb. She and husband Denis noticed the difference in power bills when they changed every bulb in their home to LEDs.
At last year's Energy Trusts of NZ conference in Wellington, Sandra saw a presentation by Ecobulb managing director Chris Mardon on a similar initiative his company had carried out in Ashburton where the local energy trust had distributed five free ecobulbs to every household. She suggested the King Country Electric Power Trust could do the same.
This Saturday, anyone can take vouchers to the Tūrangi Senior Citizens Hall and select any combination of five Ecobulb LEDs. This includes halogen, bayonet and screw-in LEDs and screw-in retrofit Ecobulb LED downlights, worth between $19.90 and $39.70 each, depending on the type.