Like the bulbs themselves, consumers need some time to brighten to the idea of compact fluorescent light bulbs.
    A 13-watt CFL bulb is rated to shine with as many lumens as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. That means as much light for less than one-fourth the energy. But CFL bulbs have been more expensive to buy, and some consumers observe that the bulbs don’t reach full brightness immediately.
    In an effort to dial down resistance, Keep Bulloch Beautiful teamed with Georgia Power for Bulloch County’s Relamping Expo at Statesboro Mall.
    Jackie Joyce and his daughter Zharia, 5, left the mall Saturday with their free CFL bulb and a goody bag that included a bright yellow expo T-shirt, a squeezable foam replica of a CFL bulb, a pen, a refrigerator magnet and brochures. So far Joyce had not tried the bulbs at home, he said, but he planned to install the free one right away.
    However, he was not sold yet on replacing all of his family’s bulbs.
    “I’ll see what happens,” Joyce said. “I know they cost $6 or so.”
    Prices have come down, and the average price of a 13-watt CFL bulb is now about $2.50, said Kelly Collingsworth, executive director of Keep Bulloch Beautiful.
    From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Keep Bulloch Beautiful members and other volunteers distributed the free items and staffed a small exhibit. Georgia Power donated 500 CFL bulbs for free distribution. These were limited to one per household, with the recipients signing a pledge to install and use the bulbs properly.
    Saturday’s expo launched a project funded by a $20,000 grant from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority. For the main phase, the Keep America Beautiful affiliate will work with three other organizations to replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs in 200 low-income homes, free to residents.
    If used properly, the bulbs will save people money, Collingsworth said.
    “If you leave it burning all day, of course you’re not going to reap the benefits,” she said. “But they do use less energy.”
    For facts about CFL bulbs, Collingsworth cited Georgia Power’s website. See specifically www.georgiapower.com/earthcents/residential/lighting.asp. Georgia Power recommends bulbs with an “Energy Star” emblem on the label.
    “Energy Star qualified” compact fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy than standard bulbs, according to the website. It says they also generate 75 percent less heat and last “up to” 10 times longer.
    As an example, the Georgia Power site says that replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 23-watt compact fluorescent can save up to $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
    Not all CFL bulbs carry the “Energy Star” label, which is awarded by a government program. Collingsworth says CFL bulbs on the market vary in quality.
    Jim Stanoff, a Brooklet City Council member, also serves on the Keep Bulloch Beautiful board. Working the expo as a volunteer, he said he had replaced all but four bulbs in his home with CFLs.
    “It took a while to get used to them because they’re really not as bright as a 60-watt bulb is,” Stanoff said. “They get brighter after they’re on for a little while.”
    Keep Bulloch Beautiful received the $20,000 for community outreach as part of a $300,000 GEFA grant to Bulloch County. The bulk of the grant is funding energy efficiency improvements to public buildings.
    The grant earmarks $9,000 for light bulbs, $7,000 for materials, literature and operations for community fairs such as the expo, $1,000 for training workers to replace bulbs, and $3,000 for recycling old bulbs. After learning that incandescent bulbs are not recyclable, Collingsworth said, she is seeking to amend the recycling part of the plan.
    The 200 homes targeted for relamping include 147 maintained by the Statesboro Housing Authority, plus households being identified by Area Christians Together in Service, or ACTS, and Habitat for Humanity.
    Installation is scheduled for October. Buying bulbs on an estimate of 30 per household, the program obtained a bulk discount for a cost of $1.27 per bulb, Collingsworth said. Extra bulbs may be used to serve additional homes, she said.
    For more information about Keep Bulloch Beautiful and its projects, go to www.keepbullochbeautiful.org or visit the organization’s Facebook page.