The Biden administration is set to implement a nationwide ban on common light bulbs as part of its energy efficiency and climate agenda this year.
According to the reports, the regulations, which prohibit retailers from selling incandescent light bulbs, will take effect on August 1, 2023.
In a report published by Fox News, it was revealed that “The DOE will begin full enforcement of the ban on that date, but it has already urged retailers to begin transitioning away from the light bulb type and, in recent months, begun issuing warning notices to companies.”
Last year, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm released a statement, claiming that “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 DOE announcement also revealed that “the regulations will save consumers an estimated $3 billion per year on utility bills and cut carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next three decades,” Fox News reported.
“Under the rules, incandescent and similar halogen light bulbs will be prohibited in favor of light-emitting diode, or LED, alternatives. While U.S. households have increasingly switched to LED light bulbs since 2015, fewer than half of households reported using mostly or exclusively LEDs, according to the most recent results from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey,” it added.
A survey data revealed that LEDs are far more popular in higher-income households which mean that the energy regulations will particularly impact lower-income Americans.
In a comment letter to the DOE last year, “we believe that further regulatory interference in the marketplace is unwarranted given that more energy efficient lighting choices, namely light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, are already available for those consumers who prefer them over incandescent bulbs.”
“While LEDs are more efficient and generally longer-lasting than incandescent bulbs, they currently cost more than incandescent bulbs and are inferior for certain functions such as dimming. Consumers are best served by retaining the choice between incandescent bulbs and LEDs rather than regulating incandescent bulbs off the market,” the letter continued.