Project Porchlight Blog

Phase III of Project Porchlight New Jersey’s campaign to educate state residents about making smarter energy-efficient choices has drawn to a close. So this is an excellent time to raise an important question: What kind of impact did this campaign really have?

The answer is simple: Project Porchlight’s campaign has had a huge impact in making New Jersey a cleaner and safer place to live.

During Phase III of the campaign, which ran from April 1, 2010 to October 9, 2010, Project Porchlight attended a record number of 385 community events, ranging from National Night Out and Independence Day celebrations to local county fairs and educational seminars. Project Porchlight also distributed energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs throughout the state. We orchestrated door-to-door community bulb blitzes in 28 New Jersey boroughs and townships, engaged more than 300 community groups, and registered and trained 1,185 volunteers.

Since launching the initiative in 2008, Project Porchlight has distributed a total of 1,360,042 CFL bulbs to more than 360 New Jersey communities by working with hundreds of community groups. Project Porchlight has also successfully promoted NJCEP’s energy-saving programs and rebates--including NJCEP’s COOLAdvantage--to more than six thousand homes.

CFL bulbs use up to 75 percent less energy than old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. They also last up to 7 years longer and can help save residents approximately $30 or more in energy costs over the life of each bulb. Choosing CFL bulbs means lower costs, reduced demand for electricity, and, ultimately, less pollution.

In total, CFL bulb distributions by Project Porchlight New Jersey helped remove 454 million pounds of CO2 emissions from the air we breathe, which is equivalent to removing more than 39,000 cars from state roads. And that’s not all: Thanks to Project Porchlight’s effort, New Jersey residents have saved more than $111 million on their electricity bills!

“Phase III of Project Porchlight in New Jersey has been a phenomenal success,” says One Change Founder and President Stuart Hickox. “It is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when government, communities, and individuals come together and commit to one simple act for the environment.” Project Porchlight is an initiative of One Change, one of North America’s leading environmental organizations, and the Project Porchlight New Jersey campaign is made possible thanks to funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and the NJCEP.

“We are proud of the results we were able to accomplish during Phase III of our campaign,” says Campaign Manager Sheila Foreman. “We are extremely pleased that our energy efficiency message has reached millions of New Jersey residents. Residents have welcomed the CFL bulbs as their first step towards becoming more environmentally responsible and adopting smarter energy efficiency choices in their lives.”

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions really do matter! Even something as simple as changing a light bulb can make a difference. By connecting with state residents one at a time, Project Porchlight has empowered people of all backgrounds to make smarter energy-efficient choices that protect the environment.

“We are looking forward to continuing our effort to be a catalyst for change in New Jersey,” says Sheila. “It’s amazing how this first step has led to many other simple actions and is causing individuals and communities to become more conscious about their everyday energy saving choices.”