ComEd to Discount 1 Million CFL Bulbs for Residential Customers

ComEd is offering its residential customers a way to save money and protect the environment by making more than 1 million ENERGY STAR-rated compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs available this fall for as low as 99 cents each at more than 350 retail outlets across northern Illinois.

Through the ComEd Discount CFL Bulb Program, customers can purchase up to 12 CFL bulbs at a $2 discount each at participating Ace Hardware, Do It Best Hardware, Menards, Home Depot and True Value Hardware stores through Dec. 31, 2007 or while supplies last. Last year, ComEd customers exceeded program goals by purchasing more than 1.2 million discounted energy efficient light bulbs in less than six weeks.

"This program is designed to educate customers about the energy savings properties of CFLs and provide a financial incentive to replace inefficient standard light bulbs," said ComEd President and Chief Operating Officer J. Barry Mitchell. "The use of CFLs, especially in high use areas, lower electric bills and conserve energy."

According to the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR-rated CFLs use up to 75 percent less electricity than equivalent incandescent bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing one 60-watt incandescent bulb with a comparable CFL can yield savings of up to $35 over the lifetime of the bulb.

In fact, ComEd residential customers collectively reduced their overall electric use by about 79 million kilowatt-hours, or the amount of energy needed to annually power about 8,200 average area homes, and saved an estimated $7.4 million on their electric bills this year alone as a result of installing and using CFLs purchased during last year's campaign. 

The discount CFL program, as part of the ComEd CARE (Customers' Affordable Reliable Energy) initiative, is the largest privately funded energy efficiency lighting promotion in the Midwest. To find a participating store location near you, or to view a list of all participating retail locations, please visit the ComEd CARE website at http://www.ComEdCARE.com or call CARE's toll-free hotline (888) 806-CARE (2273).

Additionally, ComEd announced today its partnership with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and Ace Hardware to launch a pilot CFL recycling program. Under the agreement, about 150 participating local Ace Hardware stores in northern Illinois will accept used CFLs from ComEd customers through Dec. 31 and properly dispose of them in IEPA-approved recycling facilities.

"This recycling partnership answers the main environmental issue surrounding the use of CFL bulbs," said IEPA Director Doug Scott. "Thanks to the support of Ace Hardware and ComEd, the state now offers residents another local disposal option for CFLs and keeps additional mercury, even in the minute amounts contained within CFL bulbs, out of our local environment."