Say goodbye to 40w and 60w incandescent lightbulbs. Starting January 1,2014, businesses will no longer be permitted to import or produce these popular lighting options due to the US federal government’s efforts to improve energy efficiency. The ban on 40w and 60w bulbs follows a prohibition on 100w incandescent bulbs in 2012, and 75w bulbs this year.
The phase-out of 40w and 60w incandescent bulbs comes as a result of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 (pdf), which outlines energy efficiency standards for a range of consumer products, from walk-in freezers to battery chargers.
EISA does not ban all 40w and 60w lightbulbs. Instead, it requires these bulbs (as well as 100w and 75w bulbs) to use 25 percent less energy. Lightbulbs will need to use 65 percent less energy by 2020. This means more energy-efficient alternatives in those wattages will still be available. These include halogen incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
The elimination of 40w and 60w bulbs may come as a shock to some US customers, as these options are the most popular among American buyers. According to a recent telephone survey of 300 people by Sylvania (pdf), 64 percent of Americans know about the EISA phase-out of incandescent bulbs, but only 41 percent knew availability of the 40w and 60w variety would evaporate in 2014.
If, for some reason, you want to use less efficient incandescent bulbs, you’d better act fast; according to USA Today, Home Depot expects to sell out of them by the middle of 2014. But if you ask us, that’s not a problem – there are far more awesome lighting options available.
[Image via Chones/Shutterstock]
