Duke Free Lightbulbs: What's the Catch?

Reported by: John Matarese

Duke is sending out a new offer in the mail...offering free CFL light bulbs! It sounds like a great deal.  But several viewers have asked me if there is a catch?

The answer: possibly.

The Offer...and the Catch

Duke is sending many Tri State homeowners a letter this month offering six free CFL light bulbs.... if you fill out an online survey about your energy use. It won't take long, and you'll learn about your home's energy use in the process.

Sounds great!

But there is one catch they don't tell you in the letter: 9 News has learned that you have to register for Duke's Online Services to take the survey, which will automatically stop your monthly paper bill.

Some people might not mind no longer receiving a paper bill, and instead seeing your monthly usage online.  However, many homeowners still like to receive that bill in the mail each month.

How to Still Get a Paper Bill

If you still want to get a paper bill, the good news is that you can. But you have to manually de-select paperless billing.

Duke doesn't explain about the switch to paperless billing in the letter it is sending.  So there's a good chance this offer will end up saving Duke thousands of dollars, by automatically enrolling people in it's paperless program.

That's no reason to turn down this offer, as it provides helpful info and free light bulbs.  But it's good to know all the facts, so you don't waste your money.  I'm John Matarese.