A bright idea? Bulb switch leads to some hoarding

By Karl Henkel | June 29, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

FirstEnergy says it has distributed 2.5 million of 3.75 million 23-watt CFL light bulbs.

Customers of FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries, such as Ohio Edison, can receive up to six bulbs to each customer household.
The bulbs will cost 30 cents per month for the next three years regardless of whether a customer requests them.
To order, customers should call 888-846-2235. Customers will need their FirstEnergy account number to order the bulbs.

Source: FirstEnergy

BOARDMAN

The A&E television show “Hoarders” tracks people who have an inability to part with their belongings.

A similar tactic may be in effect statewide — not involving personal items but rather a basic electrical need: light bulbs.

Some Mahoning Valley retailers that carry the new, soon-to-be government mandated 23-watt CFL light bulbs are reporting different trends when it comes to sales, representing a divide that still exists among FirstEnergy consumers.

Despite a strong demand for the bulbs, according to FirstEnergy, retailers report mixed reviews when it comes to customers’ preferences.

Lowe’s and The Home Depot, both in Boardman, highlighted the drastic differences in consumers.

Brad Parker, assistant store manager at Lowe’s home-improvement store in Boardman, said the shift to the 23-watt CFL bulbs has met expectations.

“It’s been a gradual shift,” he said. “People are still catching on.”

Lowe’s was fully stocked recently with a wide range of light bulbs, including Thomas Edison’s soon-to-be abolished invention.

Ditto for competitor The Home Depot, though store manager Buddy Colley said he’s seen some customers come in and “hoard” the incandescents before they’re eliminated from store shelves.

“I’m not worried about the supply right now,” he said. “But I’m worried about it toward the end of the year.”

The mostly older crowd has complained the new bulbs don’t give off the same brightness as the incandescents. FirstEnergy doesn’t think a hoarding binge will affect their overall goals.

“I don’t think that’s going to impact our program,” said Chris Eck, spokesman for FirstEnergy. “We’ll move as many bulbs as we can regardless of what these consumers are doing.”

FirstEnergy, which purchased 3.75 million CFL light bulbs to distribute to customers, reported it had already shipped out nearly 2 million to retailers and close to 500,000 to customers, and that the energy-efficient bulbs are moving quickly.

One million bulbs have been sent to Marc’s, and about 500,000 each to Dollar Tree and Discount Drug Mart.

FirstEnergy is trying to comply with federal regulations that ban the 100-watt incandescent bulb come January.

The bulbs aren’t free — customers will pay 30 cents per month for the bulbs in the next three years — but customers will get charged for the bulbs whether or not they request them.

FirstEnergy is offering up to six bulbs to each customer household. The light output matches that of a current 100-watt traditional bulb, which will be phased out beginning in January.