Ameren brightens blocks around Lincoln Police Department

 

[April 24, 2019] 

LINCOLN 

On Tuesday afternoon Ameren Illinois employees gathered in the back parking lot at the Lincoln Police Department on Fifth Street to distribute light bulbs throughout the neighborhood. Called the ‘Brighten the Block’ initiative, the goal is to provide local residents with safe, efficient lighting for the exterior of their homes.

According to Kelly Turner who was leading the group of about a half dozen workers, Ameren would be going to homes on Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Streets switching out the light bulbs on porch lights, trading standard bulbs with new high efficiency LED bulbs. Ameren is promoting the switch to LED bulbs because the bulbs are brighter, have a longer life than standard bulbs, and they are less expensive to operate.

Turner explained that Ameren had sent out contact letters to all its customers on those streets offering the new bulbs for free. She said while some of the residents had ‘opted out,’ the group would still be delivering and/or installing about 200 bulbs.

Turner spent a few minutes talking to the Ameren employees about their task. She explained that they should knock on the door and advise the resident they were there to change the bulbs. She said some might ask for the bulb to be left with them to be changed later and that was okay. In addition, if no one answered, the team delivering the bulb was to leave it for the resident to install later.

The effort of Ameren to switch out the bulbs was done in cooperation with the Lincoln Police Department. Ameren had contacted the LPD and asked for their input on what part of town would best benefit from the free light bulbs. The LPD had recommended the area around and south of the police station.

Tuesday evening Turner said that Ameren greatly appreciated the assistance of the LPD and that the department had allowed them to set up their base camp in the parking lot on the back side of the police station.

She said in addition, the LPD had planned to do patrols in the area where workers were going door-to-door in order to assure everyone’s safety and offer assistance if needed.

The group divided up into teams of two with one floater that would patrol the work areas with spare bulb refills for the bags each team member carried.

This is the fourth year that Ameren has conducted the Brighten the Block initiative and the first year they have come to Lincoln.

[Nila Smith]