Co-op selling holiday
lights as fundraiser

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — The middle of August seems a bit early to think about the winter holidays, but those who might cringe of the mention of December decorations will perk up at the idea of saving money this year.

Continental Divide Electric Cooperative’s area office in Grants last week announced a fundraising program in conjunction with the Cibola area schools that will benefit power consumers and help kids raise money for their own schools.

In previous years, CDEC promoted energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs and classroom fundraising by sponsoring a light sale in area schools. This year, the co-op is offering LED holiday lights in multiple color strands in a similar program.

“These are among the lowest-priced, high-quality LED holiday lights you’ll find anywhere,” CDEC spokesman Mac Juarez said.

Juarez said he has not seen the same type of lights for sale anywhere else for less than $10 per strand. The co-op negotiated a lower bulk price with the distributor because the money will go to the schools; Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association is offering rebate money, he explained.

Schools or classrooms will receive $3 for each strand sold.
“CDEC is matching some of the rebate money, as was the case with the co-op’s previous CFL light bulb fundraiser.

Schools sold nearly 5,000 CFLs during the two years that fundraiser was offered.

“And like the CFL fundraiser, the non-profit co-op is not making any money from sales,” Juarez said.

The light emitting diode bulbs consume only 10 percent of the power that a traditional incandescent holiday light bulb uses. This means that homeowners who put up holiday lights can save as much as 90 percent of the cost of running C6 type lights by using LED lights exclusively. Changing over holiday lights to the LED type gradually will show a savings right away, as well.

“What we get, and what consumers get out of it, are the cost-savings associated with the decrease in kilowatt hours of energy consumed, which ultimately lowers the co-op’s demand costs for power,” CDEC General Manager Richard Shirley said.

Juarez said the one-piece, weather-proof lights last 50,000 hours and can be strung as long as 43 strands on a single electrical outlet. The lights are safe both indoors or outdoors.
“The LED lights are more directional than incandescent (traditional) lights. They seem to waver. It is pretty cool,” he said.

The holiday lights cost consumers $7 per 24-foot, 70-bulb strand and can be ordered from participating students from now until Sept. 26. They will be delivered to the schools for distribution on Nov. 1, in plenty of time for traditional post-Thanksgiving decorating. Checks should be made out to the participating school.

Schools that would like to participate in the fundraiser should call the co-op at (505) 285-6656.