PHILADELPHIA, PA – In 1752, Ben Franklin began experimenting with electricity, which eventually led to the lighting of America after Thomas Edison invented the incandescent lightbulb.
Today, those lightbulbs are officially banned in America.
Starting on August 1st, a federal ban on the sale of incandescent lightbulbs will be implemented in the United States.
Last year, the Department of Energy made a significant decision to approve new light bulb rules, set to take effect on August 1st. These rules establish a higher minimum standard for light bulbs, requiring them to emit a brightness of 45 lumens per watt, a notable increase compared to the 12 to 18 lumens per watt emitted by traditional incandescent bulbs.
Retailers will be prohibited from selling light bulbs that do not meet the new standard, including incandescent bulbs. However, households that currently use light bulbs falling short of the new requirement will not be required to replace them.
The primary objective of this decision is to conserve energy and provide cost-saving benefits to consumers. Energy-efficient bulbs, such as LEDs, consume at least 75% less energy and have significantly longer lifespans than incandescent bulbs. This leads to reduced energy bills and a positive impact on the environment.
The initiative to phase out less efficient bulbs began with former President George W. Bush, who introduced the Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007. While the act aimed to improve household light bulb efficiency by approximately 25%, it did not impose an outright ban on incandescent bulbs.
Subsequent efforts were made by former President Obama in 2017, who added two new regulations to the act, with the intention of phasing out incandescent bulbs and other specialty bulbs by January 2020.
However, during President Trump’s tenure, the Department of Energy halted the implementation of these regulations in 2019. President Trump expressed opposition to using energy-efficient bulbs and other environmental regulations, raising concerns about their appearance.
As of August 1st, the new rules will be in effect, promoting energy conservation and encouraging the use of more efficient lighting options for the benefit of consumers and the environment.
