The bulbs are not FREE. The bulbs are not being requested by the consumer. I did not seek to buy them and don't want them. And this is false advertising!
That's better.
Heard about this on the radio yesterday. Ugh, I HATE these new bulbs. I wonder if I called and said I didn't want them, don't charge me, what would they say. I may try it. On a related note - we've been buying regular incandescents here and there lately to stock up and other people must have the same idea - they were pretty much wiped out at walmart.
Thank you for contacting the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regarding FirstEnergy’s compact fluorescent light bulb program. The PUCO has received a large volume of calls and emails from customers like you, and I appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions.
On October 7, I received a letter from Gov. Ted Strickland asking that the PUCO postpone the light bulb program until such time as we can address questions raised by the governor, members of the Ohio General Assembly and FirstEnergy customers related to program details and costs. As a result, I have asked FirstEnergy to delay the start of the program until the PUCO can thoroughly assess the costs associated with it.
The PUCO approved the light bulb program in September following agreement among the company and other organizations including the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, your residential utility advocate. The program is part of FirstEnergy’s effort to meet the ambitious electricity conservation goals included in Ohio’s new energy law. By using less electricity, consumers can avoid having to pay higher energy costs in the future.
Under the program, FirstEnergy plans to provide each of its residential customers with two 23 watt, 10,000 hour compact fluorescent light bulbs. The high-quality ENERGYSTAR bulbs that the company is using for this program typically sell for around $5 each at area stores. On average, customers who install both bulbs provided by FirstEnergy will reduce their annual electricity consumption by about 160 kilowatt hours, saving approximately $10 each year.
Although the PUCO allowed FirstEnergy to implement the light bulb program, it did not approve any charges to appear on monthly bills. Reports in the media placed the cost to customers at sixty cents per month for three years, which equates to $21.60 over the life of the program. The PUCO did not approve these additional dollars nor did it receive a request from FirstEnergy to do so. It is also important to note that the PUCO approved the light bulb program for 2009 only.
Again, thank you for the chance to respond to your concerns. If you have additional utility-related concerns, please visit our Web site at www.PUCO.ohio.gov or contact us at (800) 686-PUCO (7826).
Sincerely,
Alan R. Schriber
Chairman