•Philips Lighting is an official partner for Earth Hour Singapore 2012

 •Switching one traditional bulb to LED per household could save up to S$47 million in total annual energy spend for Singapore

 •If 1,500 consumers make their pledge on the Philips Lighting Singapore Facebook page by 6 April, Philips Lighting will lightover up to three children's homes. These lightovers include replacing existing lights with energy-efficient, and where required, light emitting diode (LED) lighting solutions, at no cost to the homes. The beneficiaries of the lightovers include The Haven (The Salvation Army), Pertapis Children Home and Canossaville Children's Home.

 •If 100,000 Singapore households make the switch to at least one LED lighting solution, Philips Lighting Singapore will donate S$100,000 worth of LED bulbs to Earth Hour for 2013. This challenge will start on 1 April, till 31 December 2012.

"Just by switching to an LED bulb, you can save up to 80% in energy consumption versus a traditional bulb. Using an LED bulb for a whole day is like switching off an incandescent bulb for 19 hours," said Mieke De Schepper, General Manager, Philips Lighting Singapore. "In a typical Singaporean household that has about 20 light points, you can imagine the energy-saving impact it can make. Philips Lighting will be encouraging consumers to make the simple switch to energy-efficient lighting solutions like LED beyond the hour that will result in a greener and more sustainable lighting solution, now and for the future."

Philips Lighting has also donated 3,500 Philips myVision LED bulb to the Earth Hour ambassadors' kit¹ to encourage them to make the switch. Also, 260 of the Philips LED candlelights will be given to the ambassadors to switch off, signifying the start of Earth Hour.

"Support from the business community is crucial if we are serious about reducing our carbon footprint. Companies such as Philips Lighting can lead the way and WWF is delighted that they are promoting going beyond the hour with WWF and the rest of the global community. A company may be able to provide the energy saving solutions but the power to make the change rests with the consumer. As Singaporeans, we encourage you to exercise your power to make that difference and help stem the tide of climate change," said Elaine Tan, chief executive officer, WWF.

The year-long partnership will also see Philips encouraging consumers at their branded retail stores to drive awareness and education on the benefits of energy-efficient lighting solutions, centered on the "Make the Switch" campaign.

If everyone in Singapore was to replace one traditional bulb with an LED one, the country could potentially save around S$47 million in energy costs per year; reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by around 1.5million tonnes and save over 250,000 barrels of oil².

Across the Asia Pacific region, Philips offices and installations will also be supporting Earth Hour by switching off non-essential lighting during that hour. In Indonesia and Hong Kong, Philips Lighting will be supporting Earth Hour events locally with donations of Philips myVision LED bulbs. In Hong Kong, the Philips signage at the Victoria Harbour, which was recently converted to LED lighting, will also be switched off. In Vietnam, the Philips Lighting team will be reaching out to families in rural cities, universities and food and beverage business owners using incandescent bulbs, encouraging them to make the switch to energy-efficient lighting solutions.

¹ Earth Hour Ambassadors are a group of volunteers who are advocates for the world’s largest environmental movement and play a part in Earth Hour 2012. The Ambassador Kit includes a useful and informative guide on eco-friendly living, a special edition Earth Hour 2012 t-shirt and cap made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles and eco-friendly products and merchandise including the Philips myVision LED bulb

² Based on population of 5.183mil (census 2011) and Philips internal sustainability calculations.