Jul. 8--The Charleston city and county housing authorities have used some federal stimulus money to purchase 8,232 compact fluorescent light bulbs, which should reduce energy use in nearly 1,800 public housing units and also increase revenue for the authorities.

The authorities used their combined buying power to get a good deal on the energy-saving bulbs, which often sell for several dollars each at retail stores. The authorities paid $10,799 for the bulbs, about $1.31 each, at Sam's Club.

"It's the first time the two authorities have cooperated to do a bulk purchase," said Don Cameron, director of the Housing Authority of the city of Charleston.

Compact fluorescent bulbs use only 13 watts of power to produce the light of a traditional 60-watt bulb, and they last about last 10 times as long.

The bulbs will reduce electric bills, which are paid by public housing tenants, but the authorities will get the savings.

Here's how that works: Under federal regulations, public housing residents pay 30 percent of their income for rent, minus an allowance for utility bills. If the utility allowance is reduced, or is held level over time, then more of the tenants' money goes to rent.

Cameron said that means taxpayers will benefit from the savings for years to come, and the public housing units will use less energy, which is good for the environment and helps combat climate change.

"It's kind of a neat little thing," he said. "It's going to have a direct benefit, and ongoing benefits into the future."

Previously, the city housing authority wrapped up a $3.4 million initiative to reduce water and electricity consumption at its public housing units by upgrading appliances and installing low-flow water fixtures. That initiative did not involve stimulus money, but relied upon an energy performance contract with Siemens Building Technologies, structured so that the cost of the improvements is paid for with the energy, water and sewer bill savings.

Water consumption was reduced by 43 percent, the authority found, resulting in significant savings on water and sewer bills.

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