As a retired electrician, I'm not seeing a huge savings. Maybe in something like a school system where each classroom has a dozen fixtures that are on for 8 or more hours a day. But in your typical residence I don't see a huge savings as the actual time your lights are on is usually pretty small. And your lighting use is usually a small part of your usage. And I am not seeing the long life that everyone is talking about. But they are getting cheaper, maybe they will get better.
But I'll give the LEDs a chance. The compact fluorescent bulbs were a joke! And they were dangerous! I saw more than one that failed violently, spewing melted glass out of the bottom.
As a retired Lineman, I can tell you that most electric utilities can't just raise their rates when they want to. Most are governed by their States Public Service Commission. Rate increases have to be filed for and justified. My company seldom got the full increase that they ask for.
