The city of Lompoc wants to help residents and business owners light up the city with a festive but energy-conscious glow this holiday season.

For the third consecutive year Lompoc is offering an LED Christmas light exchange program, urging community members to swap out old, inefficient holiday light strings for new LED holiday lights.

A variety of LED lights in boxes, including characters of Santa, Donald Duck Mickey Mouse, a snowman and a reindeer.
Lompoc’s LED holiday lights swap program starts Nov. 1. Credit: Courtesy photo

The program, which aims to assist residents and businesses in reducing energy use and saving money on utility bills, begins Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Replacing traditional incandescent holiday lights with LEDs is an easy way to keep energy bills low through the holidays, the city said.

LED holiday lights are exceptionally 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, the city said.

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.

Starting Nov. 1, 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 normal business hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and every Friday at Home Depot in Lompoc starting 5-8 p.m. Nov. 3.

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

To participate in the exchange program, 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. 26, or while supplies last.

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

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