A man wearing a blue shirt and dark pants stands at a counter with plastic boxes of LED lights on the floor next to him. (Courtesy photo)
Lompoc utility customers can get up to five new light string replacements per utility account. (Courtesy photo)

With the goal of helping Lompoc residents and business owners illuminate the town with an energy-conscious glow this holiday season, the city is offering a LED holiday light exchange program.

Community members are urged to use the exchange to swap old, dangerous, inefficient holiday light strings for new LED holiday lights.

The program, which aims to assist residents and businesses in reducing energy use and saving money on utility bills, started Nov. 4 and continues until Jan. 24, or while supplies last. The replacement program is on a first-come, first-served basis.

This is the fourth consecutive year the exchange has been offered.

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

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

City of 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 5-7 p.m. every Friday starting Nov. 8 in front of Lompoc City Hall near the utility payment drop box. (No exchange on Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving.)

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.

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 to Lompoc Utility Conservation, 805-875-8252.