PPL Electric Utilities announced this week they have already given away more than 65,000 fluorescent light bulbs to 32,500 customers as part of its E-Power initiative.

These bulbs alone will prevent more than 21,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions during their lifetime. That’s the equivalent of planting more than 5,000 acres of trees or removing more than 3,500 cars from the road each year. The savings for these 30,000 customers will total nearly $3 million over the life of the bulbs.

The company plans to give out an additional 55,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs as part of the program.

“Conservation is one of the best and easiest ways to reduce electric bills,” said David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities. “With the expected increase in electricity prices when price caps end in January 2010, conservation measures will make even more sense for our customers.

“That’s what our e-power program is about, and it’s what the Energy Star program has been about for more than a decade,” he said.

DeCampli said PPL Electric Utilities will promote the benefits of Energy Star-qualified products, which saved consumers $14 billion in energy costs in 2006, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which oversee the Energy Star program.

The Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different categories of products. These products typically use about 10 percent to 30 percent less energy than standard models.

The company launched a campaign to promote Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs and an online energy audit tool this fall, offering two energy-efficient light bulbs to the first 60,000 residential customers who complete a home profile through the company’s Energy Analyzer.

“The Energy Analyzer and compact fluorescent light bulb program are just the beginning of our efforts to help customers use electricity wisely,” DeCampli said. “We’re also developing new energy-efficiency programs and investing in technology that will support additional pricing options for customers.”

For example, he said, the company plans to offer a time-of-use pricing option to residential customers in 2010. Such an option would allow customers to save by shifting electricity use to times when generation supply is less expensive to purchase.

“We’ll be looking for additional opportunities to reach out to customers in the next few years to promote energy efficiency,” DeCampli said. “Electricity is a precious commodity, and we all benefit when we use it wisely.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy estimate that with Energy Star, the typical family could save up to 30 percent or more on their energy costs by making energy-efficient improvements.

By saving energy, customers can also help limit greenhouse gas emissions and the need for new power lines and power plants, DeCampli said. And by limiting usage during times of peak demand, they can help to lower electricity prices for all customers by helping to ensure that the most expensive power plants remain idle.

12/14/2007