Wanting to help Lompoc residents and business owners light up the community with a festive but energy-conscious glow this holiday season, the city is offering an LED Christmas light exchange program for the second year.

The program, which opens Monday, Nov. 14, encourages community members to swap out old, inefficient holiday light strings for new LED holiday lights in an effort to assist residents and businesses in reducing energy use and saving money on utility bills.

Replacing traditional incandescent holiday lights with LEDs is a quick and easy way to keep energy bills low through the holidays. LED holiday lights are energy efficient and use about 75% less energy than conventional incandescent light strings, allowing up to 20 strings to be connected without overloading a wall socket.

LEDs are also cooler than incandescent lights, and are made with epoxy lenses, reducing the risk of fire, burnt fingers, and broken lights during the holidays.

Lompoc electric utility customers may exchange up to five old holiday light strings for new LED holiday lights at Lompoc City Hall, 100 Civic Center Plaza, during regular business hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Participants in the exchange program will also be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a variety of LED Christmas yard decorations, and other energy-conserving items.

To participate, Lompoc utility customers must bring a current utility bill, a photo ID, and their old holiday lights to City Hall. Customers are limited to five new light string replacements per utility account. The replacement program is on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available until Jan. 27, or while supplies lasts.

There is no cost to utility customers to participate in the holiday light exchange program, as it is funded by public benefit resources accumulated through a dedicated, state-mandated 2.85 % charge applied to electric customer revenues.

Direct questions about the program to the Lompoc Utility Conservation Division, 805-875-8252.