LIGHT FIGHT | What angered consumers

Issues that led to a customer backlash over FirstEnergy’s plan to provide energy-efficient light bulbs to customers:

kCustomers would be required to pay $21.45 for the program, to be assessed in monthly electric bills over three years, though it cost $3.50 to buy and distribute the bulbs.

kThe assessment included the cost of the bulbs, distribution of the bulbs and recovery of revenue the company would lose if energy consumption goes down.

k The bulbs came from China at the same time that Ohio’s manufacturing industry suffers from low-cost imports — although all fluorescent bulbs are made in China. FirstEnergy did choose a U.S.-based distributor.

Associated Press