Incandescent Light Bulbs Now Banned - 5 Things

[canyonwalker]

Yesterday, August 1, a rule banning the sale of incandescent light bulbs went into effect. The rule was a long time coming as it was originally issued in 2007— by the Department of Energy in the George W. Bush administration. It was rolled back in 2019 by the Trump administration, then reinstated with updates last year under Joe Biden. Example news coverage: CNN Business article, 1 Aug 2023.

The light bulb "ban" has gotten tangled up in culture war politics. Even the notion that it's a light bulb ban is part of the culture way. Here are Five Things about what's actually happening:

1. No, you don't have to throw away your old light bulbs. It's a ban on selling them, not a ban on using the ones you already own. Though there are economic reasons why you'd want to replace your old-tech incandescent bulbs with modern LEDs; see below.


2. Incandescent bulbs are low-tech and inefficient. The technology for these bulbs has been a standard since Thomas Edison patented it in 1880. About 90% of the energy they consume is wasted as heat. That's why the Easy-Bake Oven you had as a kid used light bulbs as its heating element!


3. The rule mandates an efficiency standard, not specific products. A lot of people understand this as, "Government bureaucrats just outlawed light bulbs." It's worth noting that the rule doesn't mandate any particular type of light bulb you have to buy; it merely sets a minimum standard for their efficiency. This one of the changes the Biden administration made last year, and it's is good policy design. Rather than legislate what the technology is, legislate what it has to do. For those interested in the fine print, the rule is that light bulbs must emit a minimum of 45 lumens per watt. A lumen is an actual measure of light; a watt is a measure of energy. Typical incandescent bulbs produce around 700 lumens of light while consuming 60 watts of power. That's an output of 11.7 lumens/watt, well below the new standard of 45.


4. LED bulbs are way more efficient— and last longer, too. Modern light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are 6x to 8x more efficient than incandescent bulbs. That efficiency means you consume— and pay for— less power. Several years ago I did the math on switching to LED bulbs. My conclusion was, don't run out and replace all your bulbs now, but it's a no-brainer to buy the more efficient replacements when the old ones wear out.


5. The law exempts a number of specialty bulbs, including those designed for appliances (think the bulbs in your fridge and oven) and automobiles. And your treasured childhood Easy-Bake Oven? It was actually redesigned in 2011, after 48 years on the market, not to use an incandescent bulb anymore.