PECO light-ens bulb cost

If you haven't yet outfitted your home's lighting fixtures with compact fluorescent bulbs, now would be a good time.

Starting today, PECO is funding discounts at many area stores that will make the bulbs even more cost-effective than ever.

Already, those swirly bulbs are touted because they use 75 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts and last ten times longer. Over the life of the bulb you could save $30.

Yeah, the light quality sometimes stinks. So maybe have a neighborhood bulb party to sample a few different ones, and check the œK value on the bulb that has the quality of light you like. (The range is from softer, or yellower, to brighter, or more blue.) If the light isn't bright enough, up the wattage of the bulb.

And yes, the dirty little secret of CFLs is that they contain mercury. So if you break one, cleanup is a pain. But the amount of mercury is extremely small, and getting less all the time. Just be a little careful when you're swapping out the bulb. And quit tossing that football around indoors, okay?

Sadly, I can't give you a standard discount for the PECO program. The amount depends on the manufacturer of the bulb, the kind of bulb (dimmable or not, for instance) and the store that's selling it. But in each store, the tag or other signage should specify what the original price was, and what you'll be charged at the register ” no coupons or rebates to worry about!

PECO expects that 800 stores throughout its service area will have the bulbs by the end of December. Meanwhile, to find a store near you, go here: http://www.peco.com/SAVE

PECO expects to fund discounts on sales of about three million bulbs during the four-year, $20 million program.
The program is part of a much broader PECO plan under consideration by the state Public Utilities Commission.  If the plan is approved, PECO would be offering discounts for home energy audits, cash for those garage-residing second refrigerators people agree to give up ¦ and a whole lot more.

All the programs are expected to help PECO customers reduce electric use by 1.2 billion kwh by 2013.