Atlantic City Electric is helping customers beautify their yards and lower their energy costs with a freebie – or "tree-bie" – for Arbor Day.
The utility company and the Arbor Day Foundation are giving away 730 free trees to residential customers on a first-come, first-served basis. Atlantic City Electric serves approximately 560,000 customers in South Jersey.
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To request a free tree, submit your address using the Arbor Day Foundation's website. Customers can choose among several species native to the Northeast, including Baldcypress, River Birch, Eastern Redbud, Red Maple and Flowering Dogwood. Each sapling will be between 1-3 feet tall when it's delivered.
When planted correctly, trees can reduce energy bills by 15-30% as they mature, by shielding homes from hot summer sun and chilly winter winds, according to Atlantic City Electric. Along with improving energy efficiency, trees can also improve the quality of the air residents breathe and create wildlife habitats.
Arbor Day Foundation has information and guides online to help homeowners figure out the best places to plant their new trees so they maximize energy savings.
Atlantic City Electric and the Arbor Day Foundation have been distributing free trees since 2012, and the utility company estimates those trees have absorbed more than 235,000 pounds of air pollutants, saved 34.6 million kilowatt-hours of energy and provide more than $13.2 million in combined energy and community benefits.
"We know the value that trees and environmental stewardship bring to our communities and the cost-saving energy efficient benefits customers experience," Phil Vavala, Atlantic City Electric region president, said in a release. "Our more than 10 year partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation is a key element in building a greener future."
Arbor Day is April 25.