Prepare to flick off your incandescent bulbs for good under new US rules that kicked in this week

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Get ready to say goodbye to the once ubiquitous incandescent light bulb, pioneered by Thomas Edison more than a century ago. You can thank — or blame — new federal energy efficiency regulations that went into full effect Tuesday. Quite possibly without you even noticing.

The Energy Department rules, which date back to the Obama administration, have been whipsawed in the political process for years. Some conservatives and Republican lawmakers long denounced them for interfering with consumer choice and placing undue burdens on business. Under former President Donald Trump, the Energy Department scrapped them in 2019; the Biden administration subsequently revived them.

Yet by the time Aug. 1 rolled around, the critics had gone quiet, possibly because companies and consumers have already started voting for better lighting efficiency with their wallets.

-snip-

WHAT CHANGES UNDER THE NEW RULES?

The rules establish strict new efficiency standards for bulbs used in homes and businesses and bans the manufacture and sale of those that don’t meet those requirements. Practical incandescent bulbs, which trace their origin to an 1880 Edison patent, can’t meet those standards. Neither can halogen bulbs. The rules also ban imports of less efficient bulbs.

https://apnews.com/article/incandescent-light-bulb-led-federal-energy-efficiency-rules-950ca7bd90453a5bde277f3002e67d83

Surprised Trump didn't try to bring back coal-fired steam engines.

[tulipsandroses]

1. I can't remember the last time I bought a bulb

It’s been years. I like not having to change bulbs. Not only are they energy efficient, saves time and money.

[Think. Again.]

2. Ha!

The article tries REALLY hard to make this sound like a bad thing!

But don't worry, you won't get arrested for leaving whatever lightbulbs you have in your lamps, the new rules only apply to bulb manufacturers and importers.

Imagine people getting upset about not being able to buy more-expensive-to-run lightbulbs. I wish my worries were that trivial.

[bamagal62]

3. I'm sorry, But I can't

Stand those LED bulbs. It is what it is, though.

[niyad]

4. Excellent! Now let us work on dark sky lighting compliance.

[NNadir]

5. I'm with you here. While we're at it, let's do something about all Musk's SpaceX junk. n/t.

[niyad]

6. Exactly.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Thanks for the information. ⭐️

[Calculating]

8. I actually like incandescents for bedroom use and such

I love the warm, soft light they put out. Good thing I've got a few hundred stockpiled for this.

[hunter]

9. I don't miss them at all.

The higher quality bulbs are great, the color rendition is good and they last a long time.

I was an early adopter of compact fluorescents and then LED lighting. We've still got a few compact fluorescents in our home.

The cheapest bulbs of both types were always trouble so I've avoided those. It seems to me those are the most common type sold in regions of this nation where coal is still burned for electricity. It makes me want to put my tinfoil hat on... that would be one way to give LED lighting a bad reputation.

California electricity producers have subsidized compact fluorescent and later LED lighting, but they did not subsidize the lower quality brands.

Even stage and cinema is switching over to LED lighting and these are some of the pickiest professionals around when it comes to color rendition and flickering.

[Mickju]

10. It's about time.

[OKIsItJustMe]

11. Well, not exactly...

Prepare to flick off your incandescent bulbs for good under new US rules that kicked in this week

…

SO DO I HAVE TO THROW AWAY MY OLD INCANDESCENTS?
Fortunately not. The rules don’t affect bulbs that you already own; they also exempt special purpose incandescents such as those used inside ovens.

But suppose you discard — or give away — your halogen and incandescent bulbs. Odds are good that replacing them with LED bulbs could save you a fair amount of money.

As the rules reinforce existing market changes, the Energy Department believes that U.S. consumers can save almost $3 billion annually on their utility bills. Similarly, it projects that the rules could cut carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next 30 years.

…