Saving Ohio One Bulb at a Time

We should all brace ourselves for the ridiculous solutions that government, advocates, and energy companies will conjure up in their angst to save the planet from the death grip of CO2.

Through it all you can expect that the consumer will ultimately carry the burden.

A fine example comes to us from Ohio.

FirstEnergy Corp. is sending two energy-efficient light bulbs to all of its residential customers in Ohio, but not everyone is happy with the charge that comes with the bulbs.

The utility will charge customers about 60 cents a month for three years in exchange for delivering the compact fluorescent bulbs to the door or mailbox.

The average residential customer will pay $21.60 over three years for the two 23-watt CFLs, which are equivalent to 100-watt incandescent bulbs.

Retailers sell the CFLs for about $9 a pair.

The scheme has already been approved by the state's public utility commission and is part of a state mandate that requires that utility companies reduce the demand for electricity.

Consumers will receive the two bulbs, whether or not they want them, and will be charged $21.60 for them whether or not the bulbs are ever used or not. In fact, should customers refuse acceptance of the bulbs, the customers will still be charged for them.

The high cost of the bulbs was arrived at to pay for the bulbs themselves (at an inflated price,) to pay for private delivery of the bulbs (to all of the utility's 3.75 million customers,) and to refund the utility company for the money it will lose in energy sales if each customer uses the bulbs.

It's a sweet gig if you can get it.

h/t Right Nation