Home Properties Makes Earth-Friendly Switch to CFL Light Bulbs

PR Newswire

posted: 41 DAYS 14 HOURS AGO

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VIENNA, Va., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Home Properties (NYSE: HME) is starting to make the conversion from old, outdated, incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient, longer lasting compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). The change began in August, 2009 at Seminary Towers in Alexandria, VA when this community began retrofitting its 541 apartments. Other Home Properties communities in Alexandria and Arlington, VA will also be converted to CFLs in the near future.

To kick off the new program, Home Properties will also supply every resident with a free package of ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs. Seminary Towers' staff has received very positive feedback from their residents about both the retrofit and the complimentary package of CFLs.

What makes CFLs different from incandescent light bulbs is the way they produce the light - while incandescent bulbs heat up a filament until it is white hot (which is the light that we see), CFLs use no heat and, therefore, use much less energy.

According to the U.S. government's ENERGY STAR Web site , CFLs use 75% less energy, last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and reduce greenhouse gases. If every American home replaced just one incandescent bulb with a CFL, enough energy would be saved to light three million homes a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from over 800,000 vehicles.

Making the change to CFLs is good for the environment and saves energy. Home Properties is known for upgrading and improving the apartment communities it owns. This is just one more way it is enhancing the quality of life for its residents.

Home Properties is a publicly traded apartment real estate investment trust that owns, operates, develops, acquires and rehabilitates apartment communities primarily in selected Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Florida markets. Currently, Home Properties operates 109 communities containing 37,539 apartment units. Of these, 36,389 units in 107 communities are owned directly by the Company; 868 units are partially owned and managed by the Company as general partner, and 282 units are managed for other owners. For more information, visit Home Properties' Web site at http://www.homeproperties.com .

SOURCE Home Properties

2009-10-15 11:38:00