DY, could you explain how it was ever mutar to ask a goy to turn on lights? The old filament bulbs were for sure bishul; how could it be OK to directly ask a goy to do melachah d’oraisa for you?
Or is it that the psak was saying the masses were doing an issur by using a Shabbos goy here so they’re better off with a heter to use timers to keep this from going on?