Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon) announced that it is launching the ‘2026 Energy Welfare Program for Vulnerable Households,’ which will replace aging fluorescent lights with high-efficiency light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures free of charge to improve living conditions and cut energy use for low-income households and those in welfare blind spots. The idea is to swap old, power-hungry fluorescent lights for energy-saving LEDs, easing households’ electricity bills while brightening interiors to help prevent accidents. This year the program will support 30 households, with installation and replacement costs covered entirely free of charge. Applications are accepted by phone through the 31st via the Gangseo-gu Office’s Climate and Environment Division (☎02-2600-4010).
 [코리안투데이] Notice for the 2026 Energy Welfare Program for Vulnerable Households © 송정숙 기자 |
At the heart of the program is a tangible reduction in living costs through new lighting. LEDs use less than half the power of fluorescent lights while lasting more than five times as long, cutting not only the monthly electricity bill but also the burden of frequent bulb replacements. Particularly as energy costs such as heating and electricity bills weigh more heavily on household budgets, the ‘hidden spending’ left behind by outdated lighting is hard to ignore for households of modest means. That is precisely why the district, branding fluorescent lights an ‘electricity guzzler,’ has continued the replacement program.
Gangseo-gu has already built up this program over several years. According to the district, from 2023 through last year it replaced a total of 3,501 lights with LEDs at 62 local welfare facilities and in 66 low-income households. This year’s eligible recipients include low-income households such as recipients of livelihood, medical, housing and education benefits and the near-poor, as well as households in welfare blind spots — those living alone, people with disabilities, grandparent-grandchild families, multicultural families and single mothers. Residents wishing to apply can do so by calling the Climate and Environment Division.
Not every household qualifies, however. Homes that already have LED lighting installed or that have replaced their lighting within the past five years are excluded from support. After closing recruitment on the 31st, the district plans to conduct on-site visits to applicant households before carrying out the actual lighting replacement work. No out-of-pocket costs are incurred at any stage from application through installation.
 [코리안투데이] Before lighting installation at a vulnerable household in 2025 – 1 © 송정숙 기자 |
“Through this program, we expect not only energy savings for vulnerable households but also the prevention of accidents by improving indoor lighting,” said Gangseo-gu District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon. “We will continue to develop a range of support measures to realize energy welfare.” Because dimly lit interiors can lead to falls and other accidents among the elderly and infirm, attention now turns to whether the lighting swap will go beyond simple bill savings to improve everyday safety and quality of life. For more details on the program, contact the Gangseo-gu Office’s Climate and Environment Division (☎02-2600-4010).
송정숙 기자 (gangseo@thekoreantoday.com)
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