Are halogen bulbs banned? List of bulbs and all you need to know about the incandescent light bulb ban

More than ten years after the federal government initially established a rule banning inefficient lighting, the ban on incandescent bulbs has finally taken effect in the United States. The ban is intended to lower consumer energy prices and the country's carbon emissions.

Beginning August 1, 2023, the Biden administration will outlaw the use of these light bulbs, forcing Americans to switch to significantly more energy-efficient LEDs for their homes and workplaces.

However, as the Department of Energy regulations requires the manufacturers to exclusively produce and sell energy-efficient LEDs, the consumers will only be able to buy these light bulbs from shops. Despite being more expensive, LEDs utilize less electricity and last 25 to 50 times longer.

Nevertheless, these are certain exceptions. The ban is not applicable for plant lights, traffic signals, and appliance lights.

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The government didn’t ban all incandescent and halogen light bulbs

Not all light bulbs are banned across the country (Image via Getty Images)

Tuesday saw the implementation of the federal government's ban on incandescent light bulbs, 16 years after the legislation was first presented with the intention of promoting energy efficiency. However, many people are misinterpreting this as a ban on all the light bulbs because they are much less energy efficient than LED light bulbs .

The production and distribution of inefficient "general service lamps," which are like the normal light bulbs people use in their homes, are now forbidden by the new legislation. Most of these halogen light bulbs don't meet new energy efficiency standards, and are hence illegal according to the law.

The law mandates that, beginning August 1, all light bulbs manufactured and sold must emit a minimum of 45 lumens of brightness per watt of power. According to Philips, a prominent light bulb manufacturer, the majority of light bulbs are effectively prohibited by this regulation since they typically produce 15 lumens per watt.

These light bulbs, however, may still be produced and marketed under some circumstances, such as when they are used in home appliances or specific types of light bulbs, such as those for insects, plants, or traffic signals.

As per CNN, the other bulbs which can still be produced are:

1. Appliance lamps
2. Plant lights
3. Bug lamps
4. Traffic signals
5. Reflector lamps
6. Colored lamps
7. Black lights
8. Infrared lamps
9. Flood lights
10. Showcase lamps
11. Left-handed thread lamps
12. Marine lamps
13. Some odd-sized bulbs

According to CNN, as incandescent light bulbs typically produce 15 lumens per watt, those standards effectively make them illegal. Since LED bulbs provide significantly more light with less power, typically 75 watts per lumen, they are safe to produce and sell.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addressed the ban and provided the following information on its official website:

“It does not ban the sale or manufacture of ALL incandescent bulbs, just those common household incandescent (and other) bulbs that are not energy-efficient. Many bulbs, including specialty bulbs, three-way bulbs, chandelier bulbs, refrigerator bulbs, plant grow lights and others, are exempt from the law's requirements.”

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Details about the process and the incandescent bulb ban

This ban will be implemented on August 1 (Image via Getty Images)

After the Energy Independence and Security Act was passed under the Bush administration, a federal regulation banning these light bulbs was first released in 2007. The ban's implementation was postponed from its original start date of 2012, and then it was expanded under the Obama administration before being repealed by the Trump administration.

Then again in April 2022, under the Biden administration, the Department of Energy finally announced a phase-out of energy-inefficient light bulbs, beginning on August 1, 2023, by prohibiting their manufacturing and sale.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on the Energy.gov website:

"The lighting industry is already embracing more energy efficient products, and this measure will accelerate progress to deliver the best products to American consumers and build a better and brighter future”.

The Department of Energy estimates that after the transformation is complete, consumers will save $3 billion per year on utility costs. According to the Biden administration, the regulations are also expected to reduce carbon emissions by 222 million metric tonnes, or about equal to the emissions produced by 28 million houses annually.