Posted on 10/07/2009 6:25:04 AM PDT by EBH
AKRON, Ohio -- FirstEnergy Corp. plans to provide nearly 4 million low-energy light bulbs to its residential electricity customers in Ohio.
Akron-based FirstEnergy said Monday that distribution will begin in mid-October. Two compact fluorescent light bulbs will be mailed or hand-delivered to residential customers of Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and Toledo Edison.
The cost of the program will be underwritten by customers, who FirstEnergy said can recover three times the cost through projected energy savings. Reports indicate that there will be a 60 cent charge on customers' bills for the next three years.
The program approved by state regulators is meant to reduce electricity usage and increase awareness of energy conservation.
The CFL bulbs use up to 75 percent less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs.
Just throw them in the trash. If you have one of those militant community trash inspection programs, drop them off in the dumpster at the nearest apartment complex. Watch for cameras - everybody's got them.
FREE LIGHT BULBS???
Yeah right. It’s only free if you sit on yer ass and get paid not to work. Which of course is SOP in NE Ohio.
The rest of us foot the bill, of course. And then there is the problems these bulbs cause with sensitive people and headaches.....
Is this unusual? I don't have any problem in the same fixtures with incandescent (real ;0) bulbs. They last and last....
Yes, that is unusual. My first CFL, bought back in the late 1980's, lasted about 14 years and I used it as my night light when I was not home. I have had bad experiences with some cheap brands. "Lights of America" brand were junk - they did NOT last. Phillips, GE, and Sylvania all last.
I had a Phillips bulb in my outdoor post lamp in Ohio (low-temperature capable, they aren't all like that). It ran all night, every night and lasted about 2 years. Compared to 2 months for an ordinary incandescent light.
The CFL's have their place - I use them in most of my lamps without problems. They are fine in some applications. But - I don't use them in the bathroom, and I do not like them on can lighting (downward facing flood lights) because the seem to take a while to reach full brightness in those applications.
Only the government or other bureaucracy would have the balls to call that "free."
Just saying.
For an encore, the water department will start distributing new efficient toilets at $25,000 a shot...
"We're the gummint, and we're here to help..."
I saw six-packs of CFL's at FRY's electronics in Vegas this past July, they were approximately $0.48 each...or $2.88 for the six-pack..!
That's cheaper than beer, though not as enjoyable.
I suppose I'll grudgingly have to learn to live with them. I'm really not in a position to hoard incandescents nor do I really want to.
I've read several places that as the price of the cfls has come down they have become unpredictable in how long they'll last. I'm also not overly concerned with the mercury thing but I don't know how seriously to take the complicated clean-up instructions.
Since I rent I almost feel like if one breaks I'll call the landlord. I don't want to be responsible and I probably won't install any more until the law forces me to so I'll have a case that I wouldn't have used (and broken) one voluntarily so it's not my fault. I'm a victim! ;0)
” Each has burned out within a month.
Is this unusual?”
My brother got some “give away” CFL bulbs a couple of years ago from
our local municipal utility.
All blew out within two months.
He did pony up the money for (IIRC) GE-brand CFLs...still going strong
after two years.
Thus I would (with this limited sample size) presume there is some
level of variability of quality/durability depending on the manufacturer
of the CFLs. He couldn’t remember for sure, but thought the short-lived
CFLs from the utility were sort of “no-name” branded. Or at least
a brand name he didn’t recognize like GE or Sylvania, etc.
Join my in my protest and “Return to Sender.” Plus I’ll be deducting the .60 surcharge (tax) from my bill!
MADE IN CHINA
If forced to I will buy name brands. Although I think I did last time but I can't remember.
That’s not the half of it. Supposedly Houston received money to make low-income homes energy efficient.
Turns out the City was charge $9.00 for a single bulb...when you could go to Home Depot and buy 3 (THREE) for the same price. Don’t let idiots get hold of your tax money. PERIOD
This is ridiculous.
We can send a man to the moon but we have to REDUCE energy instead of growing it?
CONSERVATION = DEFEATISM!
Government refuses to come up with viable solutions.
Note the date on this article. Dec 2007. http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59298
In the mean time, BLOIT! I'm stocking up on incandescent bulbs of all sizes.
BLOIT: Buy Lots Of Incandescents Today
[Americans are always looking for the better mouse trap...]
Yes, but most Americans don’t want the government deciding which “better mouse trap” they will receive for “free” at a cost of $21.60!
And just think, our “free” health insurance will be as cost free as these bulbs (only on steroids)!!
I’m not advocating anything, just thinking aloud....but if a dozen or so if these bulbs were returned in less than perfect condition, it would be interesting to see if the electric company would jump through all the hoops required to make sure they were properly disposed.
Fascism.
We went back to anodized and cast iron; now I’ve got teflon-poor blood...
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