You've likely heard that the federal government implemented a ban on incandescent and halogen lights on August 1, 2023. What exactly does that mean?
Takeaways:
Retailers will be penalized for selling lights that do not meet the requirement of 45 Lumens/Watt, which includes all incandescent and halogen lights
The legislation continues the incentivisation of energy-efficient products
You can still use incandescents and halogens, but you will be unable to purchase new ones
A move to ban low-efficiency lights in favor of high-efficiency ones – like LEDs – nationwide has been in the works for decades. The idea was first proposed under the George W. Bush administration, and has been a topic of debate in all following administrations. The official legislation, which was effected August 1, 2023, states that it is illegal for retailers to sell lights that produce less than 45 Lumens per Watt of energy consumed (a Lumen is a measure of light output). Incandescent and halogen lights both fall near 15 Lumens/W in light-producing efficiency, so the law is structured to directly prohibit them.
The legislation continues the trend of local and federal governments pushing consumers towards more responsible and efficient energy use. A number of legislative moves have sought to make transitioning to higher energy-efficiency more attractive by offering generous financial incentives. If you're in Maryland, where Greenervolts operates, we have detailed information from MD energy companies on how these financial incentives can be made available to you.
Individual consumers and businesses will not be penalized for continuing to use incandescent and halogen lights, but the new law will make it more and more difficult to find identical replacements for these types of lights. LEDs and CFLs are both suitable replacements, with LEDs in particular offering a variety of styles and colors (from warm white to bright white) that can provide nearly identical lighting to incandescents and halogens.
More reading:
"The Halogen and Incandescent Light Bulb Ban Explained", GE Lighting