A new feature on Chelan County PUD ‘s Web site allows customers to calculate their energy savings if they replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). 

The CFL savings calculator is located here.

For example, a customer who replaces ten 60-watt incandescent bulbs with 13-watt CFLs will save $30.88 per year. (This assumes the bulbs are on 6 hours a day.)

In a recent promotion, the PUD gave away or provided rain checks to customers for 13-watt CFLs. Rain checks are now being issued for a second shipment of bulbs expected to arrive in mid-March. In all, the PUD is purchasing 41,000 energy-saving bulbs to help customers light up their homes and save energy.

CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than old-style bulbs. More information on CFLs is available on the PUD Web site here.

The light bulb distribution is one of several energy buyback programs developed for 2010 to help customers save energy and to meet conservation requirements of the state Energy Independence Act. By investing in CFLs, the PUD essentially buys back energy from customers that would have been required if customers continued to use incandescent bulbs. That energy can be sold on the wholesale energy market, which helps keep local retail rates low.

If all 41,000 CFLs are installed in homes across Chelan County, they will save more than a million kilowatt hours of electricity a year. The average Chelan County PUD home uses about 21,000 kilowatt hours a year.

While up to 20 bulbs are available per household, customers are asked to take only as many as they can use. Rain checks will only be issued for supplies now on order.

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

Related articles
Free CFL bulbs prove popular with customers – Chelan PUD news release
PUD customers snap up free bulbs – Wenatchee World
PUD to hand out 41,000 light bulbs – Wenatchee World

Tags: CFL, compact fluorescent, costs

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under Energy conservation, Lighting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.