With the start of the New Year, it was lights out in the U.S. for the production of the time-tested 100-watt incandescent light bulb, and over the next few years nearly all of the standard Edison filament bulbs will be phased out.
A 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act requires most new light bulbs to use 25 percent to 30 percent less energy, aimed at reducing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and enabling the U.S. to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy, according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
Next year the 75-watt incandescent bulb will be eliminated and by 2014 the popular 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs will be phased out.
The 100-watt bulbs will continue to be sold as long as supply holds out. More efficient, but more expensive, halogen, compact fluorescent (CFL) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs are being sold as replacements for the common household lamp.
Lisa Drewyor, 45, of Marietta, was stocking up on incandescent bulbs at a local retailer Wednesday.
"I help care for an older gentleman and we've tried the fluorescent bulbs but they just don't seem as bright and he has a hard enough time reading already," she said. "He's 91 years old and he just doesn't take to change well ... But neither do I."
Drewyor said she will only reluctantly convert lights at her home to the more energy efficient bulbs.
"A lot of them are still outrageously expensive and I really think it should be my choice," she said. "Especially because these new ones I've tried just don't seem as bright."
Most CFL or halogen bulbs cost two or three times as much as standard bulbs and newer LED bulbs, which can last 20 years or longer, can cost as much as $50 per bulb.
Russ Cogswell, owner of Apex True Value in Marietta, said the newer bulbs continue to get better and cheaper. He said many of the newer bulbs now work in dimmer lights, have three-way lighting options and work outside in cold weather, something many people complained they couldn't do when they first came out.
"They're catching up quickly," he said. "I think (new bulb requirements) are a good idea. We're taking something virtually everyone uses and replacing it with something more efficient that'll last a lot longer."
Lighting accounts for about 15 percent of all home energy consumption, according to the National Electrical Manufacturer's Association.
Most newer bulbs must use 30 percent less energy than the old-style bulbs, Cogswell said. Incandescent bulbs, which create light by passing electric current through a wire filament, waste the bulk of that energy producing heat instead of light.
Not all incandescent bulbs are being eliminated. Many specialty bulbs, three-way bulbs, chandelier bulbs, refrigerator bulbs, plant grow lights and others will continue to be made, according to EPA officials.
Cogswell said people who are used to incandescent bulbs in their homes may notice a difference in the color of the light given from the newer bulbs, especially when reading.
"That's the most common question, concern or complaint," he said. "People want to know what is most like the older bulbs."
Cogswell said he likes the GE "daylight" halogen or CFL bulbs for the best light temperature color. Other common bulb color temperatures include cool and warm.
"It's really a personal preference," he said.
To help offset some of the cost of the newer bulbs, AEP Ohio has instant coupons available at Apex True Value and other retailers for up to $3 off qualifying energy star light bulb packs.
"The goal is to encourage our customers to make an investment in energy savings," said Melissa McHenry, AEP spokeswoman. "Obviously, the incandescents aren't going to be as available and this (rebate) helps with the cost differential."
Rose Warden, 56, of Fleming, said about two years ago she converted every light in her home to CFL bulbs. She said her monthly electric bill has gone down about $34.
"We have noticed a difference in our bill, but the bulbs just aren't as bright," she said. "You can see but to read you need to sit up closer to the light."
Warden said she recently bought a $59 LED light for reading.
"I really like it, it's much brighter than the 'screwy twisty' bulbs," she said.
The energy act includes many other provisions that do not pertain to lighting, including requiring higher gas mileage in automobiles, increased reliance on biofuels and increased training for "green" jobs.
The spending bill move doesn't appear to have affected the phase-out, as manufacturers remain committed to the switch to more efficient bulbs, Cogswell said.
"Demand for incandescents just isn't as high anymore," Cogswell said. "There really hasn't been much of a rush on 100-watt bulbs. Maybe when everyone starts to run out there will be."
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