are incandescent bulbs being phased out
Lights out for the incandescent light bulb as of Jan. 1, 2014. A 100-watt incandescent light bulb seen at Royal Lighting in Los Angeles on Jan. 21, 2011 -- before the bulbs were banned by a 2007 law. When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, the year ends -- and so does the ordinary lightbulb. Jan. 1. The demise of the incandescent bulb might come as a surprise to most Americans, however. A recent study by Lutron pointed out that fewer than 1 in 3 adults (just 28 percent) were aware of the planned phase out. As you might recall, the incandescent bulb phase-out stems from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007). A section of this Act has adopted the title of Incandescent ban over the last few years, except it is not really a ban at all. marks the end of a seven-year effort to outlaw the ordinary lightbulb, thanks to a 2007 law that raised minimum efficiency standards for traditional incandescent bulbs far beyond what the technology can manage. It’s lights out for the traditional light bulb, in other words, which was essentially killed by that bill. CFLs, LEDs and some halogen bulbs meet the standard, traditional incandescents do not. So come January 1, the phase out begins with 100-watt incandescent bulbs, when they can no longer be made or imported but can be sold until supplies run out. The 75-watt fades away in 2013, and a year later it’s good-bye to 60- and 40-watt incancescent bulbs. California began its phase out last January, Europe and Australia in 2009. To find the right energy-saving bulbs for your sockets, see our Ratings of CFLs, LEDs and halogen bulbs. Are Incandescents still being phased-out? On December 16th, Congress passed a new spending bill that contained a provision that would block the Department of Energy (DOE) from enforcing new energy-efficient standards for certain types of light bulbs. So it takes a lot of energy to create the incandescent’s warm glow. There are an estimated 4 billion lightbulb sockets in American homes, according to the Department of Energy and more than 3 billion still use the standard incandescent. You can see how all this wasted energy adds up. It simply states that certain classes of lamps will be phased-out to meet new energy efficiency standards mandated by law. We have outlined the new standards in our Learning Section, if you need a refresher. The passing of this bill has caused a lot of confusion regarding the phase-out. The truth is, the 100 watt incandescent will still begin it's scheduled phase-out starting January 2012. The EISA of 2007 efficiency standards have not been repealed and are still the law. The only effect that the bill has on the DOE is that they do not have funding to enforce the law until October 2012. Inefficient Light Bulbs are Being Phased Out under the New Light Bulb Law. Basics of the law, as it pertains to lighting and light bulbs: It does not ban the use or purchase of incandescent bulbs. How the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Affects Light Bulbs. Inefficient Light Bulbs are Being Phased Out under the New Light Bulb Law. It does not ban the use or purchase of incandescent bulbs. It does not ban the sale or manufacture of ALL incandescent bulbs, just those common household incandescent (and other) bulbs that are not energy-efficient. It does not require the use of compact fluorescent bulbs.
Yes, the incandescent bulb phase-out stems from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.