St. Louis company, Metro Lighting, was honored recently by the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) with the national 2013 Excellence in Retailing Award for Lighting. The award is given to organizations for their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in significant cost savings. Award winners like Metro Lighting, Sears, Lowes and other major retailers are selected from over 20,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program. Only one Excellence in Retailing Award for Lighting is given nationally and this is the third year for Metro Lighting to receive the Award.
“Metro Lighting couldn’t be more proud of its three Energy Star awards. The East & West Coasts are considered the premier green building & environmentally conscious areas of the US, coupled with the fact Missouri has one of the lowest electrical rates in the nation, it is a huge accomplishment to receive this award considering our competition,” states Nicholas Frisella, Metro Lighting’s Special Projects Manager.
Missouri’s electrical rate is approximately $0.07 per kilowatt hour, almost two cents lower than the national average. The electrical rates for the states of California, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut’s average out to be well over $0.15 per kilowatt hour, resulting in much more energy-focused consumers and retailers.*
Metro Lighting is recognized for offering and marketing a wide selection of energy saving and ENERGY STAR-rated products, implementing environmentally-focused programs such as a fluorescent light bulb and ballast recycling program, installing solar panels, installing energy saving lighting controls, offering vehicle charging stations at two locations, switching out over 10,000 incandescent bulbs to LED and participating in community events with a focus on the environment and energy savings. Metro Lighting also donated the lighting & exhaust systems to the nation’s first ever Active House located in Webster Groves, MO.
“We have a critical partnership with ENERGY STAR,” explains Frisella. “More and more of our customers are looking for products that save money and protect the environment. By offering products that have earned the ENERGY STAR we are working to fulfill our customers’ needs and saving them energy dollars, while helping address needed changes that help our environment.”
About Metro Lighting:
Metro Lighting is a locally-owned and operated family business in St. Louis, MO. In 1967, Metro Lighting consisted of one delivery truck and a basement garage overflowing with circuit breakers, wire, and conduit. From these humble beginnings, Metro Lighting has grown into Missouri’s largest lighting distributor. Metro Lighting’s eight locations serve St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson County & Cape Girardeau.
Metro Lighting provides energy efficient lighting solutions to Missouri residents every day. Its American Lighting Association certified sales staff receives training from Energy Star, Ameren Missouri, IMark, NAED and numerous lighting manufacturers’ education programs. It offers a full line of Energy Star qualified light fixtures, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), LED recessed cans, ceiling fans and exhaust fans. Metro Lighting provides other energy efficient lighting solutions including fluorescent re-lamping and ballasting, LED technologies, occupancy sensors, dimming control solutions, commercial energy audits and much more.
For more information on Metro Lighting please contact, Sarah King at 314-645-5656.
About ENERGY STAR:
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas equivalent to those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. For more information, go to energystar.gov.
* U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861.