Strickland pulls plug on bulb distribution
By Danielle Toth
Westshore
Published Oct. 14, 2009

Gov. Ted Strickland issued a letter last Wednesday requesting the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio postpone FirstEnergy’s energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb distribution program.

In response, PUCO has asked FirstEnergy to postpone its distribution to the customers of Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and Toledo Edison. The same day Strickland issued the letter, Rep. Dennis Kucinich asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate it.

FirstEnergy was set to begin distributing two energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs to homes throughout Ohio, including the Westshore area, this week, but the program was met with public outcry. The company planned to deliver about 3.7 million light bulbs over a period of five weeks. The bulbs use up to 75 percent less electricity than a traditional incandescent bulb.

Strickland said his office was flooded with calls from Ohioans who were upset because the bulbs were to be distributed at a cost of $21.60, or 60 cents per month over 20 years, whether they wanted the bulbs or not. Many pointed out the bulbs could be purchased at popular retail stores for much less or that they already had the bulbs in their home. The $21.60 cost passed on to customers was the cost of the light bulbs, plus distribution costs and the cost of the decrease in customers’ energy use, FirstEnergy said.

FirstEnergy will continue to hold off on the program pending further discussion with PUCO, FirstEnergy spokesman Mark Durbin said.

“We weren’t trying to be in the business of selling light bulbs,” Durbin said. “We are trying to be in accordance with Senate Bill 221.”

Senate Bill 221 is an energy reform bill that aims to reduce energy consumption.

The bill requires utilities to have a drop in customer energy use by .3 percent this year and 22 percent by 2025, Durbin said. Other Ohio utilities have offered their customers discount coupons for the energy-efficient light bulbs.

“The state asked us to come up with a project to meet its target by the end of the year,” Durbin said. “We thought it was a good program.”

Also, Durbin said customers could politely decline the bulbs if they were home during the time they were distributed or give them away to a friend or family member who would want them. The customer would still be charged if they declined the bulbs or gave them away because the program isn’t just about the light bulbs, it’s about the reduction in energy use as well, Durbin said.

“We’re not trying to force anything on people; we’re just trying to meet a state mandate,” Durbin said.

Westshore mayors received a letter from FirstEnergy saying the utility would be in the area delivering the bulbs, but there was never any mention of cost, Rocky River Mayor Pam Bobst said.

“My concern is always that we were going to have individuals out in the community delivering things, and I wanted to let the residents know they would be disseminating these light bulbs.”

However, before Bobst could inform residents, she learned of the cost involved.

“The program has merits, but we were unaware of the part that FirstEnergy would be charging residents,” she said. “We didn’t have full disclosure, and that was unfortunate.”

North Olmsted Safety Director Lisa Thomas said the utility officials apparently didn’t think the matter all the way through.

“It’s one of those instances where you look at it and think afterwards, ‘what were they thinking?’” she said. “I’m sure there were good intentions to save energy by using materials like this. But to do something like that and then basically negate it by charging that kind of money for the bulbs, plus expensing additional money and work hours by having employees go out and spend their time doing this, it just wasn’t a real good idea.”

Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland, who brought the program up in her comments at the Oct. 5 council meeting, also said she didn’t have full information about the program.

“What they sent us initially in the release didn’t mention any cost to the consumer or other expenses involved,” she said. “Needless to say, when we saw that, we were surprised based on what we had seen previously. The governor did them a favor by taking the action that he did. We’re all for green energy and related programs, but going about in this way just isn’t the right way to do it.”

Fairview Park Mayor Eileen Patton agreed with Bobst and Sutherland, saying she was similarly unaware residents would be charged.

“Nowhere in the letter does it say there would be any charge to our residents,” Patton told West Life.

Patton, who had announced the program at a City Council meeting Oct. 5, was so upset that she called FirstEnergy officials to complain about the letter’s oversight.

“I think the letter was misleading,” Patton said. “I’m glad to see that the governor is taking action on (the program).”

(West Life reporters Jeff Gallatin and Kevin Kelley contributed to this story.)

On the Web:

• FirstEnergy
• Governor's press release announcing bulb postponement