Tucson Electric Power customers can receive a free desert-adapted shade tree by visiting TEP’s booth at the SAHBA Home & Patio Show April 6-8 at the Tucson Convention Center.

TEP will give away 1,000 locally-grown shade trees at the show to promote its Trees for You program and explain why planting shade trees is a cool idea. Customers will be asked to complete a brief survey to receive the tree.

“Planting trees is a natural way to realize energy savings,” said Nikole White, Trees for You Program Manager. “Trees create a canopy that reduces heat gain and helps cool homes and neighborhoods in the summer. Deciduous trees that lose their leaves in late fall can keep your home warmer in winter by allowing sunlight and radiant heat to enter the home.”

White says trees should be planted within 15 feet of the south, east or west sides of your home or building for optimum energy savings.

Besides energy and cost savings, trees also provide habitat for wildlife, help control erosion and storm runoff and clean the air by reducing greenhouse gases.

For more than a quarter century, TEP has been promoting shade tree planting as a natural and sustainable way to reduce energy use and preserve the environment.

“Our trees program is definitely one of our most popular energy efficient programs,” said White. “TEP has contributed to the planting of more than 112,605 trees throughout our service area since 1992.”

Residential customers can buy up to three 5-gallon trees at the discounted price of $5 each through My Account on tep.com.

“This program has been so successful because people like beautifying their landscaping and neighborhood, doing something good for the environment and saving energy,” White said. “They’re ‘going green’ and feeling good about it.”