Cubans moving on to Grenadines

Residents of St. Vincent who did not have the opportunity to exchange their incandescent light bulbs for fluorescent energy saving bulbs when the Cuban social workers were in their areas over the past seven weeks, will soon be

able to do so at a number of centralized locations across the country.

The project, which began on February 3, with the Cuban workers making their way from Fancy and Richmond on the northern tip of the island, south into the Marriaqua/ Yambou area, will culminate this weekend.{{more}}

The 21 workers who are assisted by a number of locals, will now move to the Grenadines where they will continue the task of trading the energy saving bulbs, which were donated by the Cuban Government, for the incandescent bulbs.

Coordinator of Science and Technology in the Ministry of Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Industry, Philip Jackson, said that on the completion of Grenadines segment of the project, phase two is expected to begin. This is where persons whose homes were missed in phase one, can trade their old bulbs for the new ones at centralized locations yet to be announced.

According to Jackson, the bulb exchange program is going smoothly, with the great majority of homeowners choosing to exchange the bulbs, and persons have been very receptive to the volunteers.

Jackson said that following the bulb exchange program, the Ministry would be embarking on a comprehensive inventory of the type of appliances used in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and would prepare a list of those with more energy saving properties, in an effort to encourage consumers and business places to switch to these appliances.

It has been scientifically proven that the fluorescent light bulbs are more energy efficient than the incandescent bulbs, and persons who have made the switch are said to be seeing a difference in their light bills. A Comparison Board of the old and new bulbs has been placed at the main VINLEC building in Kingstown.

As of Monday, March 19, some 104,172 bulbs had been placed in over 12,000 homes on the mainland, and this number is expected to grow when phase two of the programme begins soon.