April 22, 2009

RICHMOND, Va. – Earth Day has arrived at the same time the 3 millionth compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb has been sold through Dominion Virginia Power’s discount program with The Home Depot.

Dominion has calculated that the 3 million CFLs will save customers more than $124 million in energy costs over the life of the bulbs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 642,000 tons – the equivalent of removing 112,000 cars from the road for one year – by reducing the need for electricity, based on EPA information.

"We are extremely pleased with the program’s ongoing success and its positive impact on Virginia," said David A. Heacock, president of Dominion Virginia Power. "The financial incentive – combined with customer interest in energy conservation – is helping achieve new levels of energy efficiency in the state.

"Replacing regular bulbs with CFLs is a simple and cost-effective way to reduce electric costs and help the environment without requiring any noticeable lifestyle change. And, of course, the discounted purchase price is attractive, too," Heacock said.

Dominion provides a $1.50 discount on an Energy Star-qualified CFL bulb and $3 on multi-packs purchased at The Home Depot stores in its Virginia service area. Dominion initiated the discount program in October 2007. Demand for the bulbs surpassed initial expectations, and Dominion expects strong customer participation to continue.

The Home Depot offers a national CFL bulb recycling program at all 1,973 of its stores. This free service offers customers additional options for making environmentally conscious decisions from purchase to disposal. Customers can simply bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk.

Dominion continues to be a leader in energy saving information by providing energy calculators and practical tips at www.dom.com, keyword Conservation. Additional information on conservation measures and energy calculator tools are available on Dominion’s Energy Conservation Web page.

Dominion Virginia Power has proposed an aggressive energy conservation plan that would produce significant environmental benefits while providing customers with substantial cost savings.

A key component of the plan is the installation of "smart grid" technologies that will enhance the electric distribution system to meet the increasing needs and expectations of customers in the 21st Century. The smart grid will allow energy to be delivered more efficiently and will result in significant energy savings by allowing more precise control of the energy flow.

Customers also can discuss ways to save energy, money and the environment on Dominion’s blog devoted to energy conservation. Go to http://e-conserve.blogspot.com.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a portfolio of more than 27,000 megawatts of generation. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com.

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