Program to Help Customers Save Energy with CFL Bulbs Is A Success

Customers will help save about a million kilowatt hours of electricity by installing the 41,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provided free by Chelan County PUD under a program launched last month. All of the bulbs committed to the program have been given away or are spoken for, said Susan Gillin, PUD Customer Service administrator.

“The enthusiastic response to the program shows the interest our customers have in saving energy and saving money on their electric bills,” Gillin said. For each CFL installed, customers can expect savings of about $15 in energy costs over a comparable incandescent, for the life of the bulb, she said. The 13-watt CFLs given to PUD customers provide the same light as a 60-watt standard bulb, plus they use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than old-style bulbs.

About 11,000 bulbs were handed out to customers during the first week, which were all the bulbs that the PUD had on hand. Rain checks were handed out for the balance of the bulbs which arrived March 15. The rapid response far exceeded the goal to complete the distribution by March 31.

By distributing bulbs free to customers, the PUD is buying an energy resource.

“We’re buying back the electricity that would have been used if customers continued to use standard light bulbs,” Gillin said. This is in keeping with goals set by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, which regards conservation as the least expensive energy resource available to meet power demands in our region. The Energy Independence Act, passed by Washington voters in 2006, adopts these goals and establishes guidelines for utilities to set and meet conservation targets.

Conservation also helps keep local rates low by making more PUD energy available to sell on the wholesale power market.

In addition to the CFL distribution, the PUD is a member of a regional program to reduce the cost for customers who need specialty CFL bulbs such as dimmable, 3-way, candelabra or flood lamps. The PUD pays the cost for 10 local retailers, who display the “Change a Light” sign, of reduced prices on the specialty bulbs. 

The PUD also is paying up to $2,500 to residential customers who add insulation and install energy-saving windows and glass doors in their homes.

Return to April 2010 Western Energy News

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