Aug 23 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Tucson Electric Power Co. has launched a program to make compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs available from local stores at discounts of up to 50 percent off retail prices.

TEP's new Energy Star Lighting Program is designed to encourage the use of energy-efficient CFL bulbs, which consume approximately 75 percent less energy than comparable incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10 times as long, the company said.

Cutting costs

--TEP's discount program reduces the price of CFLs to as low as $1 per bulb.

Who's paying

--TEP customers are funding the program through a monthly surcharge approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. TEP in turn has paid manufacturers to provide discounts that will be passed along through local retailers.

Energy savings

--TEP estimates that if all 185,000 bulbs available through the program this year are sold and installed, they will save more than 9.5 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy over the course of a year -- enough to power more than 850 Tucson homes.

How it works

--No coupons are necessary, and customers can buy up to 10 discounted bulbs per store visit.

Availability

--The discounted bulbs are available at Costco and Home Depot stores in Tucson. More retailers will begin offering the discounted bulbs in coming weeks.

To find participating retailers, customers can call toll-free at 1-800-783-7253 or go online to tep.com.

Disposal

--Because CFL bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury, they should be disposed of properly through recycling facilities available at local Home Depot stores and other locations. To learn more, visit ww.tep.com or energystar.gov. For more information about local disposal options, visit earth911.org.

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