Starting January 1, 2014 it is now illegal to manufacture or import incandescent light bulbs in the US.<\/p>\n
Actually, the law (signed by George W. Bush) doesn’t specifically state incandescents. It just sets a maximum wattage to produce a given amount of light, from 40 to 100 watt equivalents, and there are many loopholes for appliance, 3-way, reflector, rough service and decorative bulbs. There are also incandescent halogen bulbs that meet the standards, but given price, longevity and performance it probably makes more sense to go with CFL or LED bulbs for most applications. <\/p>\n
I’ve started converting my whole house to LED bulbs, gradually replacing the incandescent and CFL bulbs as they burn out. The data I have collected over 15 years shows that CFL bulbs actually do last much longer than incandescent bulbs, and my early data shows that LEDs last at least as long (I won’t know for sure until some burn out). CFLs continue to be cheaper than LEDs, but LEDs come on instantly to full brightness, contain no mercury and I like the color better. The one advantage of CFLs is the relatively soothing ramp up in brightness in the early morning that lets my eyes adjust.<\/p>\n
I’m sure some will complain about the “nanny state”, or government tyranny, but I think the improvements in energy conservation will be worth the inconvenience. The American Council for Energy Efficient Economy states<\/a> that the average household uses 5 – 10% of their electricity for lighting, spending $50 – $150 per year, and that doesn’t include the added air conditioning costs in the summer to remove the excess heat (though admittedly some of that heat will reduce heating costs in the winter).<\/p>\n