ComEd CFL Discount Program Exceeds One Million Bulb Goal

ComEd recently announced the successful results of its CARE (Customers' Affordable Reliable Energy) one Million Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulb Discount Program. Residential customers exceeded program goals by purchasing more than 1.2 million energy efficient light bulbs at nearly 350 participating retailers since the initiative began on Oct. 1.

We are very pleased such a large number of customers will use these discounted CFL bulbs in their homes. This is a significant achievement," said ComEd President J. Barry Mitchell. "Lower electricity use will be reflected in lower bills for customers. This also means the generators need to produce less electricity to meet customer demand, which means less greenhouse gases will be emitted."

By using these energy efficient bulbs, ComEd residential customers collectively could reduce their overall electric use by about 79 million kilowatt-hours in the coming year, or the amount of energy needed to annually power about 8,200 average area homes, and save up to $7.4 million annually on their electric bills, or about $6 in savings per year for each CFL installed. Additionally, the replacement of 1.2 million incandescent bulbs with CFLs will avoid about 17 million pounds of carbon dioxide gas per year from being emitted into the local environment, or the equivalent annual emissions of about 1,400 cars.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's joint national "ENERGY STAR® Change a Light, Change the World" campaign, qualified CFLs use up to 66 percent less electricity than equivalent incandescent light bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing six 60-watt incandescent bulbs with comparable CFL bulbs may yield savings of up to 4 percent on a household's electric bill, or $120, over the lifetime of the bulbs.

The ComEd CARE 1 Million CFL Bulb Discount Program is the largest privately funded energy efficiency lighting promotion ever carried out in the Midwest and is the result of a partnership with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and participating northern Illinois retailers. ComEd CARE is a multiyear initiative to help residential customers better manage their electric bills as Illinois transitions toward competitive market rates following the end of a nine-year rate freeze on Dec. 31, 2006.