60% of Americans Unaware of Looming Incandescent Bulb Phase Out 944
Lucas123 writes "Even though production of 75W and 100W incandescent lamps were phased out earlier this year, many U.S. consumers remain blissfully unaware of The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, an energy efficiency standard that requires an initial 30% reduction in energy use for screw-in bulbs. By 2020, the federal standard requires bulbs to use 65% less energy. According to a new survey, only 40% of Americans are aware that incandescent bulbs are being phased out. However, the federal regulations are about to impact the most popular bulbs of all — 40W and 60W lamps. As of Jan. 1, 2014, the bulbs will no longer be produced. A significant portion of those who are aware of the phase out have been hoarding the bulbs in anticipation of the ban."
Re:Get rid of those things (Score:4, Interesting)
If you have a brain, you got rid of those fucking things more than 5 years ago.
Notice how it's not suggested the reason 60% of people are "blissfully unaware" of this phase-out is because they stopped using incandescent bulbs already and don't care.
Re:What about mercury? (Score:5, Interesting)
If you're in a coal-fired powerstation area, then it's still a major win. There's mercury in the bulbs, but mercury is released by burning coal and the power savings more than outweigh what's in the bulb.
Re:Get rid of those things (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:What is the best way to buy some in bulk? (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm using some of the LED floods from that Home Depot page as well as some Cree and the ones with the yellow phosphor on them. The floods use maybe 20watts apiece and replaced bulbs drawing 120watts apiece. They dim fine, they throw a ton of light, and I know they don't get hot although outside I could care less. The packages on that page are multipacks but when I first started buying bulbs single bulbs could be as much as $40 - they're still running 2 years later. I've swapped out a ton of the older bulbs and many of the fluorescent ones too. So far no LED have burned out on me and they light well. I no longer feel the need to keep a bunch of bubs in the closet - I don't ever need replacements. I couldn't say that before!
And I have a huge supply of 75W / 100W incadescent (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:If it bother you that much (Score:4, Interesting)
Right. I'm going to keep the receipts of every blasted bulb I buy. Kudos to you if you are that organized - I can barely keep tabs on the big stuff. Even if I kept the receipt the hassle factor would likely kick in and the thing would sit in a box until springtime when the haz mat pickup occurs. Then it would get tossed in that box.
Manufacturers bank on that behavior. I'll bet it works out for them rather well.
100Watt Bulb Heat is Useful on Farm (Score:5, Interesting)
This is a beautiful example of too much government by idiots. What the city slicker politicians and neo-econazies don't understand is that the 100W bulbs are useful. I use them for the combination of heat and light they produce on our farm. They are lower power than the 250W bulbs and thus safer so they're less likely to cause a fire while still providing heat in a creep setting for baby chicks, ducklings and piglets.
In my home I all of my light bulbs are LED, because I want light. But in the sheds in the winter the heat of the incandescent bulbs is useful.
If you don't want to buy them then don't. But no need to outlaw them. The law is plain arrogance and fascism.