Incandescent Light Bulb Ban: What it Really Means?

light bulb ban

As we’ve welcomed in the New Year, it’s been hard to ignore the countless media reports announcing the death of the standard light bulb. The so-called “incandescent light bulb ban” is being blamed for the demise of the nation’s most popular bulb, but what many may not realize is there technically isn’t a ban on incandescents and consumers still have plenty of lighting options available.

What Happened

So, what changes really did happen when the calendar flipped to 2014? Well, January, 2014 simply marked the final phase of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which was enacted to improve the energy efficiency standards of the US. Since 2012, we’ve seen the phase out of both 100-watt and 75-watt incandescent bulbs, and now it’s the deadline for the phase out of standard 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs.

However, the new law doesn’t mean there’s a complete ban on 40- to 100-watt incandescents. It just states that general service lamps must use around 30% less energy to meet the new minimum standards. Most 40- to 100-watt medium screw-base incandescents don’t meet the new requirements and will eventually disappear from store shelves. Still, there are many other types of incandescents that are unaffected by the law, including reflectors, three-way bulbs, appliance bulbs, and some decorative products.

Also, consumers can continue to buy and use these less efficient bulbs for as long as they can find them. Manufacturers and sellers are the ones responsible for upholding the law, as they can no longer create or import the phased out bulbs.

other bulbs

As mentioned, general service lamps are what the legislation is targeting. These lamps include:

– Incandescents, CFLs, and LEDs

– Any other type of lamp the Department of Energy determines is being used for lighting applications traditionally served with incandescent bulbs

– Medium screw-base lamps

– Those with light output in the range of 310 to 2600 lumens

– Operates at a voltage between 110 and 130 volts

In short, ‘general service lamps’ refers to nearly all bulbs used in mainstream applications. It encompasses bulbs of varying shapes and sizes (not just A-Shapes).

The New Options

As it turns out, there is a type of incandescent bulb that already uses 30% less energy than the ordinary 60-watt variety. It’s known as a halogen incandescent, and it combines halogen gas with the typical tungsten filament to create a much more efficient product. While it is more expensive, it has nearly the same look, brightness, and color temperature of traditional incandescents. This is good news for those who feel there is no substitute for the light produced by the original bulb.

Of course, other options such as compact fluorescents (CFLs) and LEDs are already mainstream, energy efficient alternatives. They do cost a bit more than halogen incandescents, but their life expectancy is much longer. For instance, halogen bulbs typically last only 1 to 2 years, while CFLs can last for 10 and LEDs for 15 to 20 years.

How it Affects Other Lamps

By far, most people will feel the loss of the standard, pear-shaped incandescent bulbs. But, those with commercial lighting applications have likely already noticed the disappearance of certain types of incandescent reflector lamps (IRLs) as well as some fluorescents.

For instance IRLs, such as spotlights, directional lamps, and floodlights have experienced significantly stricter standards since 2012. Most standard halogens, including PAR, BR, and ER lamps could not keep up with the new requirements and were eliminated. The only types of halogens currently being manufactured are modern, ‘high efficiency’ halogens and the few exempt products under 40W. Thus, the best replacements for your old halogen applications are energy efficient halogens (silver reflectors, gas mixture capsules, infrared reflectors, etc.) or switching to LED (CFLs are not ideal for directional lighting).

CFL LED bulbs

Similarly, fluorescents like the standard T12, T12 U-Bend, and T12 HO lamps were essentially legislated out of the marketplace. However, there is such a wide range of fluorescents available that it isn’t difficult to find suitable replacements for the phased out lamps.

What Else You Should Know

If you’ve spent years habitually buying the same light bulbs, getting used to the variety of new products may take some time. To make things easier, lighting manufacturers are required to clearly label their packages with pertinent information, such as a bulb’s number of watts and lumens, its yearly energy costs, life expectancy, and more. These details make it simple to do side-by-side comparisons of different items, so you know exactly what you’re purchasing and how much energy it uses.

It’s also important to note the lighting industry is steering away from using watts as a measure of brightness. It never was an accurate relationship, and because today’s improved technologies are capable of high light outputs while using fewer watts, it simply doesn’t make sense to discuss brightness in terms of watts. So, when comparing labels, look to a product’s lumens as a way to determine its light output.

Conclusion

While it may seem like the government is forcing you to use specific products, in reality there is still a huge variety of light bulbs to choose from and new, improved technologies are emerging all the time. By carefully reading labels and talking with a lighting professional, you can maintain the same quality of light you’re used to (or better) and have the added benefit of lower utility costs. After all, these new laws are meant to reduce your energy use, which ultimately means more money in your pocket.

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