Say goodbye to wasteful incandescents. Congress’ recently passed energy bill bans stores from selling the inefficient bulbs starting in 2012. We know you love incandescents and their warm glowing warming glow, but compact fluorescents are vastly superior—their takeover was inevitable.
“Sure, you’ll see more compact fluorescents five years from now, but you would have seen them without any energy bill,” said the chief executive of Osram Sylvania, Charlie Jerabek.
Michael B. Petras Jr., vice president of GE Consumer and Industrial — the unit that includes General Electric’s lighting business — broadened the thought to all forms of lighting. “You’ll see different light sources for your decorative chandelier, for your recessed lighting and for your under-cabinet lights,” he said. “And I can assure you that all the kinds of light sources are already getting a lot more efficient.”
Including incandescents.
Congress has not specifically outlawed incandescent bulbs, only inefficient ones.
In February, G.E. said that it was developing a high-efficiency incandescent that will radiate more than twice the light of conventional incandescents. It expects to make that one commercially available by 2010, and one that is twice as efficient a few years later.
And so far, consumers have been slow to give new products a chance. Compact fluorescents, for example, are already ubiquitous in stores. Many retailers, led by Wal-Mart, have promoted the economics of the bulbs — though compact fluorescents generally cost six times what incandescents do, they last six times as long and use far less energy.
We switched over to CFLs and the only difference we notice is a consistently cheaper energy bill. Switching bulbs has a direct effect on your energy consumption, and is one of the single best ways you can help the environment as a consumer.
No Joke, Bulb Change Is Challenge for U.S. [NYT]
(Photo: Nictalopen)
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While it’s lovely that CFL’s require much less energy to operate, the user-end consumption doesn’t represent the entire ecological footprint of a product. If we’re going to espouse the virtues of a product for its ecological benefits, we need to consider the whole picture.
What is the energy cost of manufacturing these bulbs when compared to incandescents? What about packaging? How much do the blister packs CFL’s come in offset the energy savings, especially when compared to the cardboard incnadescents are typically sold in. And how about disposal? What’s the environmental impact of recycling a CFL bulb vurses putting it in a landfill vurses tossing an incandescent?
While I don’t know the answers all of these questions, it’s imperative for us, as consumers purporting to be environmentally-friendly choices, to consider these factors. If one’s goal is simply to spend less on electricity regardless of the impact on the world at large, then CFL’s are a great choice. If one wants to make lifestyle changes which truly benefit everyone, then these issues of the greater ecological footprint of CFL’s (and all products in general) must be understood. Until such time, it’s irresponsible to rush to this new technology and outlaw alternatives.
My issue is that my house eats light bulbs. I go through 50+ light bulbs a year. I bought CFL’s thinking I might dodge the bullet, but it burns them out as well. I have purchased about 15 CFL’s and as of today, only 2 are still working.
Incandecents last a very long time, and don’t use a lot of energy if you use a dimmer switch. I use CFLs all over my apartment, but there are some areas where you would like to be able to control the lighting and make it nice and warm. CFLs can not do this. Incandecents can.
@full.tang.halo:
It sounds like you last tried them in the 80′s. The technology has vastly improved.
They no longer flicker
They no longer buzz
They are no longer green (unless you want them to be).
dooming migraine sufferers to constant headaches for the rest of their lives.
I switched from CFL back to incandescent b/c my wife had a constant migraine. her health was more important than the savings (~$20/month).
How about a REAL energy bill? One that doesn’t doom us to higher food prices so we can pillage our environment with worthless ethanol.
Ugghh…this news really hurts my soul:( I HATE CFLs with a strong fiery passion. CFLs give me headaches, are normally not dimmable, and many contain mercury. And then there’s that awful yellow light…I have a hard time understanding why a law like that could even pass- it takes away consumer choice, and if I want to choose a better product in exchange for a higher energy cost, I should damn well be able to do so. (Also, when I promoted Phillips Marathon CFLs, their promo materials stated that the bulbs are mercury free.)
@nequam: Apparently Vliam was the only person to read your comment as well. I think every single comment following yours continued to assume incandescents were being outlawed.
Not only that! consider the consequences: electric rates will go up due to less revenue for the utilities. I kid you not! Here’s what WILL happen. As critical mass in CFLs replace incandecents, utilities will start selling less energy and their revenue will decline significantly because of it. They will complain to regulators they are losing money and rates will go up to compensate. Great job congress!
So, those of us with recessed lighting will be left in the dark? CFLs can’t be used in recessed lighting, or so says the package….
The local drug barn was closing so we went there to see what was left. They had CFL 4 packs for $1.50 each. I bought 1 pack to try out and they were a lot better (but still yellow) compared to the 60w bulbs. I picked up 2 more boxes since they were so cheap; I use them in lights that aren’t as important like the pantry/landry room lights.
Fluorescents give me incapacitating migraines. I guess I’ll switch to oil lamps in 2012.
If it’s true that “compact fluorescents are vastly superior; their takeover was inevitable” then why did Congress have to do something as stupid as this and waste their time on it?
Let the market decide what’s best – that’s what ultimately is best for our economy and ultimately our country and its policies.
As is noted in so many comments on here – energy efficiency is not the end-all and be-all of lighting. I bet there are a lot of lighting engineers who take great prides in designing environments around lighting, that are not too happy about this.
@dirtleg: Then why is the antarctic ice sheet the largest it has ever been in recorded history? Have you examined these sensors they use to record the temp? They are placed in locations that give faulty readings. Like next on roofs to AC units, next to the tarmac at airports, next to parking lots. So many of the temp sensors are so poorly placed the scientists can not have a clue of what is happening. Satellite readings of temperatures in the lower troposphere (an area scientists predict would immediately reflect any global warming) show no warming since readings began 23 years ago. These readings are accurate to within 0.01ºC, and are consistent with data from weather balloons. Only land-based temperature stations show a warming trend, and these stations do not cover the entire globe, are often contaminated by heat generated by nearby urban development, and are subject to human error.
THERE IS NO GLOBAL WARMING!!! Its a LIE!!!
@jwissick: I’ll show you where in the U.S. Constitution it says the government is allowed to mandate energy efficiency as soon as you show me where it says the government is allowed to prohibit bank-robbing.
The fact of the matter is that the Constitution only really deals with the structure of the government. It doesn’t promulgate specific laws. In the event of any law’s passage, it must be shown that it doesn’t conflict with the authority given the government under the Constitution.
Don’t you think that, if energy-efficiency mandates were unconstitutional, they would have been struck down by the Supreme Court sometime after 1978, when the National Energy Policy and Conservation Act directed DoE to set standards for 13 products?
@jwissick: Read.
@jwissick: Also read: IPCC Working Group I: The Physical Science Basis.
Great. Now I can throw out all my X10 Home Automation gear, since it refuses to work with CFL.
People just need to use less light bulbs. There is only one lightbulb on in my apartment and it’s one with more than one wattage setting. It disgusted me when an acquaintance wrote on a blog how many lightbulbs were in their house which they were being just SO green about by changing them to CFLs. There’s a reason my bill is only $45 every month.
The idiots come out of the woodwork on issues like this.
I use only CFLs in my apartment. I do not ever hear a hum or buzz. I notice no difference in the quality of lighting. I DO notice a difference when I get my electric bill, and it is quite a nice difference.
While it’s true and wonderful that CFL’s save us users so much energy, I think that a look at the larger picture is necessary when calling these products “environmentally friendly”.
The ecological footprint of any product is measured not only by its effect on the user-end of things, but also by its impact in the manufaturing, distribution, and disposal stages. Are these bulbs truly better for the environment than incandescents when we consider the chemicals which go into making them? Are their energy savings outweighed by their blister packaging? Does the energy and resources required to properly dispose of them negate the energy savings realized through their operation?
While I don’t have the answers to all these questions, it’s vital that we, as consumers, consider them thoroughly before espousing their environmental benefits, and certainly before we allow alternatives to be outlawed.
If one’s only aim is to save on the electricity bill, then CFL’s are undeniably great. However, if one is hoping to do something to better our world, then an honest assessment of that method’s total ecological impact must be made.
@suburbancowboy: I have a CFL dimmer sitting next to me that begs to differ.
@suburbancowboy: nm, I skipped over the temperature bit.
How do you make an efficient incandescent? How do they define it?
Why is congress doing this? Because it’s easy! Much, much easier than coming up with and enforcing a CAFE standard for cars and light trucks that isn’t pathetic. There’s very little work involved in banning incandescent bulbs, and it’s a lot easier to enforce.
Congress wants to be green, so they pick something really, really easy, make a big deal about it, even though it’ll hardly make a dent in world energy use. So they get the credit for being green with the least amount of work possible while the nation’s energy woes and environmental problems keep right on getting worse.
Lighting only accounts for approx. 15% of the average electric bill. The vast majority of usage is tied to the refrigerator and heating/cooling systems. Say for instance that you have 5 100W incandescent bulbs on for one hour at $.11/KWH, you would pay $.055 for that one hour. If you used a 5 20W CFLs for one hour, you would pay $.011 for that hour. You would save basically $.04 per hour of usage for those 5 bulbs. Now say that you run those 5 bulbs for 5 hours a day for 30 days. You would save $6.60 for the month.
Sure it is a savings, but it ain’t huge. I changed 90% of my homes lighting to CFL and maybe saw a $3/mo. drop in my bill. At that rate, it would take me almost 2 years to recoup my costs, which by then, I would be replacing bulbs again anyway.
I probably saved less per month because I only pay about $.09 per KWH in the midwest. I know some of you in the coastal states pay far more for elecricity so it might make more sense for those people.
I switched to CFLs years ago, except for a crystal chandelier.
I am writing this with a CFL about 6 inches from my ear, as usual when sitting at my computer. I’ve never heard a hum from a CFL. Old-style stick fluorescents do hum, and they drive me nuts. CFLs don’t.
Another big advantage of CFLs is the money you save on air conditioning. An incandescent bulb is a heater that happens to emit light. You’d be amazed how much cooler a room is without them.
But government has no business forcing the issue. If I want to waste electricity, that’s my business.
@Sam:
Your right, I don’t have the right to rob banks, I don’t have ABSOLUTE freedom.
Assuming that global warming is a fact and is caused my man man it is still not right to ban incandescents,my house is almost entirely illuminated by fluorescent light,I’ve always been a fan of there efficiency and pale light. But there are places where incondecent lights are mandatory, the oven, the microwave, the motion activated light that sits outside in freezing temps. there is no other light in existence that can replace them but with this ban I am fucked, I have nowhere to go if they burn out.
It would be like if the government banned everything except the Toyota puris how will you move things like refrigerators,large sheets of drywall or 7 children?
It just would have been a matter of time before people stopped buying incandescents except for those who need it but now the minority who need them are screwed and without an option.
Although CFL are fine for outdoor and industrial lighting, and I have florescent lighting in the kitchen and garage and front porch, I HATE HATE HATE CFLs for indoor lighting!
CFLs give everything a blue tint compared to incandescents, even the “natural light” bulbs. The cold stark flickering light from CFLs hurt my eyes and make me so very depressed — reminds me too much of being at work.
I will be hoarding incandescent bulbs for when the Imperial Federal Government violates my Constitutional and human rights by telling what I can and cannot use to illuminate my house.
The Socialists running the Imperial Federal Government will not be happy until we are forced to go back to oil lamps and live like we did in the early-19th century.
Will ALL sales of incandescent bulbs be illegal? When stores are no longer permitted to sell incandescents, can I sell some from my hoard on eBay and flea markets for a huge profit?
Drug dealers will switch from sneaking drugs across the Mexican border to sneaking incandescent bulbs. Drugs will be legalized before incandescents.
Except for Australia and the U.S., who else has made incandescent bulbs illegal?
Thank you, environmental wackos, aka “watermelons” (green on the outside, Red on the inside)!
@esthermofet: you laugh, but my 5-year-old got an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas and we drove all over town to try and find the right bulb for it.
I use LED bulbs instead of CFLs. Less fragile, lasts MUCH longer, and uses less electricity.
As for global warming, one thing the panic-mongers hate to admit is that the Earth is coming out of a severe cooling trend, one so severe that it was considered a minor ice age (ice age lite?) In point of fact, while the Earth is indeed warming, it’s not yet up to “normal” (defined as *not* a near-ice age) yet.