Light Bulb Change
Don’t start hoarding light bulbs yet. There are many exceptions in the law, including those for “specialty bulbs,” chandelier bulbs, refrigerator bulbs, and others. And some people are trying to change the law, too. (from TM, a reader)
4 responses to “Light Bulb Change”
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Go and try to find the 90 watt spotlight. It does not exist anymore. the CFL have horrible light, are much less bright, and are a nightmare to get rid of and if one breaks the instructions for cleaning them up should scare everyone. I just don’t see how anyone can say that the quality of the light is the same. By the way I would wager that the orignal bulbs that lilaclynx is speaking of where made in Germany to very high standard. A standard that is lacking in the cheap Chinese versions which are pretty much all you can get today.
I read an article in the Columbus Dispatch in the Home & Garden section in the last three weeks that was very thorough and explained that there is no upcoming ban on incandescent light bulbs, but those manufactured in the US have to be more efficient than the current ones when the law goes into effect. I can’t see many of us paying $50 for one light bulb. However, considering we were given two of the early CFL bulbs by our electric company at least 15 or more years ago and the second one it still burning, it probably isn’t as bad a price as at first glance! We did use them consecutively in the same antique floor lamp.
I heartily disagree with bicibell. While the law is not an outright ban the efficiencies which the law prescribes where designed to get rid of the incandescent bulb.
This has already happened. The first casualty of this law is the 90 watt flood light that is used in many recessed fixtures which happened January of 2010. If you notice those bulbs are no longer available. The only incandescent floodlights available now are 65 watt. You can however get higher wattage bulbs including 100 watt halogens which are shaped just like the 90 watt incandescent. So the unintended consequence is that many people are actually using more energy.
On December 31 of 2012 the law goes into effect for the standard 100 watt bulb, in 2013 its the 75 watt bulb and in 2014 it is the 60 and 40 watt bulbs.
California already has a similar law and friends there tell me that those bulbs are just about gone from the shelves. Europe also has gone incandescent free. As for me I’ve already stockpiled and my house will be burning bright for quite a while longer.
The misinterpretations and misleading information being distributed by politicians is causing panic among consumers for no logical reason.
The law does not ban the sale of incandescent lightbulbs or the manufacture of them. It does require that bulbs manufactured in the US be more energy efficient (which current bulbs already are) and offers standards for them to be improved. Manufacturers like OSRAM Sylvania actually support the new law and are working to make bulbs even more energy efficient.
Taking time to read the law (passed by a Republican Congress and signed by President Bush) would convince most folks that there is little to be concerned about.
Barbara Bell