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The Toronto Hydro Festive Light Exchange

Go a Little Greener (and Safer) This Holiday Season

By Marilyn Campbell, About.com

LED Lights

Festive LED Lights

Image Courtesy Toronto Hydro
If you're using incandescent lights for your indoor or outdoor decorations this holiday season, Toronto Hydro would like to help you switch to more energy efficient LED lights. Once again this year, Toronto Hydro is running the Festive Light Exchange, inviting Toronto residents to bring two strings of incandescent lights to an exchange event and receive one string of multicoloured indoor/outdoor LED lights in return.

LEDs for Energy Conservation
According to Toronto Hydro's 'Tis the Season for Energy Conservation webpage, LEDs use up to 95% less electricity than traditional holiday lights, which translates to one dollar getting you 15 hours from incandescent lights or 15 days from LEDs.

LEDs for Safety
The main push of Toronto Hydro's campaign has always been the energy savings, but another benefit to LEDs is that they don't give off the heat of traditional incandescent lights. While you should still be turning off decorative lights when you go to bed or aren't at home, using LEDs reduces the overall risk of combining hot lights with a dry tree, flammable decorations or little fingers.

Getting Your Free String of LEDs
In 2008 the exchanges will take place at a variety of locations across the city between Saturday October 25th and Sunday December 7th. Remember that the offer is open to Toronto residents only, and you can only do a single exchange per family while supplies last (the first 500 families).

To find the exchange nearest you, head directly to Toronto Hydro's 2008 Festive Light Exchange Schedule of Events or visit the Green Toronto Calendar to find exchange dates and locations along with other environmentally-friendly events.

Source: Toronto Hydro - Festive Light Exchange

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