Why is there a ban on incandescent light bulbs in the U.S? Everything to know

Incandescent light bulbs are now banned in the U.S. While those already using them can continue to do so without any hindrance, retailers are not allowed to sell them anymore. The ban, which came into effect on August 1, is the result of the new rules for lightbulbs approved by the Department of Energy last year.The ban on incandescent bulbs is attributed to various factors like reducing carbon greenhouse gas effusions, increasing energy efficiency and conservation, and reducing electricity costs. Despite the positive effects of the ban, it was not well received by a lot of people, who criticized the move by the Biden administration for intruding into the American household.Incandescent bulbs are on the out (Photo by Bradley Ziffer on Unsplash)The incandescent light bulb ban and its effectsAccording to the new rules for light bulbs, passed in April of last year by the Department of Energy, from August 1, the new minimum standard for light bulbs is set to 45 lumens per watt. It earlier stood at 18 lumens, which was what incandescent bulbs were capable of producing as compared to LED bulbs, which easily produce over 75 lumens per watt.The reason for the ban mainly comes down to energy efficiency and environmental benefits. According to the Department of Energy, the new rules are estimated to save U.S. consumers around $3 billion in utility bills, if energy-efficient light bulbs are used for a full year. Carbon emissions are also estimated to be cut by 222 million metric tons in the next 30 years.The ban is only on the manufacture and sale of those bulbs that produce less than 45 lumens per watt. Consumers can still continue to use existing bulbs that don't conform to the standards. According to the Department of Energy, around 30% of U.S. households used incandescent light bulbs in 2020.However, not every form of the incandescent bulb is banned. Only GSLs or General Service Lamps were banned. The Department of Energy defined GSLs as those lamps that had an ANSI base. These include general service incandescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, general service light-emitting diode lamps, and general service organic light-emitting-diode lamps.Manufacturers and retailers can continue to manufacture and sell Appliance lamps, Black light lamps, Bug lamps, Colored lamps, Flood Lights, Plant Lights, Reflector Lamps, Left-hand thread lamps, Traffic signal lamps, and various other special lamps.People were not happy with the incandescent light bulb banSome viewed the ban as an outright attack on American Households and personal freedom. Rep. Pat Fallon told Politico in a statement:&quot;The light bulb rule going into effect this summer is just another example of the Biden administration’s tidal wave of regulatory burdens crashing down on American families.&quot;Republican State Delegate, Sarah Fields, tweeted:Sarah Fields@SarahisCensoredThe Biden administration's ban on incandescent light bulbs goes into effect on Tuesday, forcing everyone to purchase more expensive, energy-efficient bulbs such as LED and fluorescent.So much for getting government out of our homes and lives.15224The Biden administration's ban on incandescent light bulbs goes into effect on Tuesday, forcing everyone to purchase more expensive, energy-efficient bulbs such as LED and fluorescent.So much for getting government out of our homes and lives.Netizens took to Twitter to claim that the ban was absurd. There were many claims made about the health concerns of LED bulbs. Some also said that it was an attack on &quot;beauty&quot;.Tomi Lahren@TomiLahrenBrandon’s incandescent light bulb ban goes into effect next week. You might not be able to pay your mortgage or afford groceries, but at least Joe is going after the important stuff like lightbulbs.2338310Brandon’s incandescent light bulb ban goes into effect next week. You might not be able to pay your mortgage or afford groceries, but at least Joe is going after the important stuff like lightbulbs.Dr. Benjamin Braddock@GraduatedBenI want to sue the Biden administration over the incandescent light bulb ban. Non-incandescent lighting causes me to have severe stroke-like migraines. I believe this ban violates the Americans With Disabilities Act Any good attorneys who would like to do this with me?1688136I want to sue the Biden administration over the incandescent light bulb ban. Non-incandescent lighting causes me to have severe stroke-like migraines. I believe this ban violates the Americans With Disabilities Act Any good attorneys who would like to do this with me?𝓗@littlcrumbthe incandescent lightbulb ban is an attack on beauty. led lights are so vulgar and aggressive. i would rather light candles or sit in the dark than have my home lit up like a wal mart51the incandescent lightbulb ban is an attack on beauty. led lights are so vulgar and aggressive. i would rather light candles or sit in the dark than have my home lit up like a wal martThe Nasty Italian🍷🇺🇸 🇮🇹@sayitnspinitA light bulb went off in the heads of Democrats: &quot;Let's ban lightbulbs&quot;729A light bulb went off in the heads of Democrats: &quot;Let's ban lightbulbs&quot;Even More Pissed Off Patriot@POdPatriotThe federal government’s ridiculous, and inane banon the incandescent lightbulb starts tomorrow. This one bothers me more than almost every stupid thing they have done.8511The federal government’s ridiculous, and inane banon the incandescent lightbulb starts tomorrow. This one bothers me more than almost every stupid thing they have done.Ash Soular@ashsoularI'm really mad about this incandescent light bulb ban.From a health perspective, incandescent has been shown to have none to positive effects on our health but LED lights have been shown to have negative effects on mental, endocrine, hormonal &amp; retinal health.Why ban them?3I'm really mad about this incandescent light bulb ban.From a health perspective, incandescent has been shown to have none to positive effects on our health but LED lights have been shown to have negative effects on mental, endocrine, hormonal &amp; retinal health.Why ban them?camille@camillesaccountIncandescent lightbulb ban is a war on real passion and beauty, obviously.2Incandescent lightbulb ban is a war on real passion and beauty, obviously.The move to ban Incandescent light bulbs is not a recent phenomenon. In fact, the move towards energy-efficient bulbs can be traced back to the George W. Bush administration. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act vouched for households to have lightbulbs with 25% greater efficiency, although it did not involve an outright ban.Later in 2017, President Barack Obama attached two more regulations to the 2007 Act, in the hope of phasing out Incandescent bulbs and specialty bulbs by 2020. However, this move was stopped by the Trump administration in 2019 as then-president Donald Trump stated that Americans were being forced to use the energy-efficient bulbs.

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