Farewell, Free Lightbulb Program
As wild as it is to write these words, the Free Lightbulb Program has officially sunset. For the last five years, we’ve partnered with Michigan municipal utilities with the goal of distributing LEDs to anyone who needs them, at no cost to the customer.
A Little History
In 2017, a coworker pointed out to me that LEDs were eligible for instant rebates, but no contractor was making it easy for people. Utility customers could get LEDs for free and pass the rebate off to the contractor – but a contractor needed to step up to the plate to promote it, deliver the LEDs, and fill out the paperwork!
Furthermore, the utilities weren’t advertising this very loudly, so people didn’t even know the LED rebate existed. Green Projects Group took up the mantle, created the Free Lightbulb Program, and began to work with as many utilities as possible to connect Michiganders to their utilities’ financial resources. You can dig in further about what a utility rebate program is in my blog here.
Since 2019 we have partnered with 16 municipal utilities who implement their rebate programs through the Michigan Public Power Association (MPPA), and 2 who implement them independently. With these partnerships, we shipped out 11,868 boxes of LEDs *mind blown*
What Happened?? Legislation Changes
In April 2022, new rules surrounding what types of lightbulbs could be manufactured were officially adopted by the Biden administration, with enforcement beginning August 1, 2023.
This required every new bulb made and sold to be at a higher efficiency level: 45 lumens per watt. This essentially banned incandescent and halogen bulbs, firmly establishing LEDs as the top runner for bulb manufacturers.
This development is a huge and wonderful win for energy efficiency, but it does mean that utilities have little reason to incentivize LEDs anymore since they’re the only choice available at the store. Thus the Free Lightbulb Program was officially sunset on December 31, 2023.
Maybe… Just a Few More Bulbs?
Although there is less of a reason to fund this program, it could still be very beneficial in promoting energy justice, by providing efficient lighting for people on a tight budget, and/or people who have trouble getting to the store. So it is possible that this program could continue on a limited basis for some income-qualified customers.
Thank You And You And You And You!
From the very bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who trusted GPG over the last few years. It has been a wild ride and we couldn't have done it without your trust and participation. Below are a few of my favorite Google Reviews to date. Keep your eyes peeled for more to come on energy efficiency and electrification. We’re not done yet, we’re only getting started!
