Light Bulb Labyrinthine

Light Bulb Ban Set to Take Effect
December 13, 2013
By Steve Hargreaves
CNNMoney


Light Bulb Labyrinthine

"Light bulb manufacturers will cease making traditional 40 and 60-watt light bulbs-the most popular in the country-at the start of 2014."

In the place of these light bulbs halogen light bulbs, compact, fluorescent bulbs, LED bulbs, and high efficiency incandescents which are all regular incandescents with filament wrapped in gas. Although all of these lightbulbs offer more savings in the long run and offer significantly more energy, these new lightbulbs are more expensive than the traditional light bulbs. 

This change is predicted to anger consumers already faced with economic problems. Also, this is said to irritate the tea party activists sine the ban is the result of the final phase of government-mandated efficiency standards.

The rules were signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007. "They are designed to address gross inefficiencies with old light bulbs -- only 10% of the energy they use is converted into light, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which has a handy fact sheet about the changes." 

Much arousal has raised from the libertarians and conservatives who disapprove of the government telling people what light bulbs they can and cannot use. These people argue that if the new ones really work so well, people will buy them on their own without being forced to do so. 

Although the Republicans tried to overturn the law, they failed. Congress prevented the Department of Energy from spending money to enforce the new rules. 

However, old lightbulb makers have no plans of making their old bulbs after the start of the new year and plan to abide by the new laws. 

"We haven't seen any problems with respect to compliance," said Kyle Pitsor, vice president for government relations at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, which represents 95% of all light bulb makers in the United States.

The manufacturers association are in favor of the new rules on light bulbs, arguing that they headed off a patchwork of pending state laws that would have made the business highly complicated. 

While people were initially concerned with these new light bulb bans, Pitsor said most of the concerns faded away as people become more familiar with the new light bulbs and realize they can still buy high efficiency incandescents.  

The high efficiency incandescents cost about $1.50 each, compared to 50 cents or so for the old bulbs. But they last twice as long, and use 28% less power.

With LEDs, the saving are even greater. While a 40-watt LED goes for about $7.50 -- a big drop from the $50 or so it cost just a few years back -- it uses 85% less energy than a traditional bulb. 

Over the course of the year, a LED will consume about $2 in power under normal circumstances, said Mark Voykovik, national light bulb merchant for Home Depot. That compares to over $7 for an incandescent. 

"In two years, you pay off that bulb," said Voykovik. And because LED bulbs are expected to last at least 20 years -- it's all savings for the next 18 years. 

Moreover, LEDs are free from many of the issues that plagued compact fluorescent bulbs. They turn on instantly, do not contain mercury and give off a warm light similar to an incandescent.