From today some 20 Cuban Social Workers or Trabajadores Sociales would be working with locals from the Youth Empowerment Service, YES programme and students of the Technical College to install energy saving bulbs in the homes of Vincentians.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Chairman of the Energy Saving Policy, Sir Vincent Beache announced that 225,029 bulbs would be installed by the delegation which would be split up into two major teams. Beache said that the first team would work from the Leeward end beginning at Chateaubelair, while the other would work from Fancy on the Windward side. The teams would install the energy saving bulbs in homes all the way south until they arrive in the capital Kingstown.{{more}}

Beache said that from an assessment done, the average home uses eight bulbs, with the average electricity bill per home being $115 Installing the energy saving bulbs provided by the Cubans would reduce the cost by some 25%.

Sir Vincent however noted that Vincentians would be required to hand over their old incandescent bulbs before they are given the new energy saving bulbs. He explained, “It is an exchange, if you want to keep your incandescent bulbs then you would not receive the energy saving bulbs.”

He noted that this project was also being carried out in Venezuela, Jamaica, Grenada, Suriname, St Kitts & Nevis and Dominica and already over 25 million energy saving bulbs have been distributed by the Cubans.

Beache said that the Cuban government has spent some $1.5 million in energy saving bulbs for this country, which would cost $5.43 each if they were to purchase them. Beache also pointed out that each bulb could last up to three years.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has made an appeal to Vincentians to welcome the Cuban Social Workers. He pointed out that the Cubans were young men and women aged 19-20 and were installing energy saving bulbs that would help Vincentians save money and help the electricity company Vinlec to reduce the output of energy.