Osram Sylvania’s sixth annual SYLVANIA Socket Survey finds that 65 percent of Americans plan to switch to more energy-efficient lighting technologies, as a result of federally mandated legislation that is increasing efficiency standards. Yet, 30 percent of consumers say that they plan to buy a lot of less efficient traditional incandescent light bulbs where still available and will continue using them.
This industry-benchmark survey, which is the only nationwide measure of public attitudes about energy-efficient lighting and awareness of lighting legislation, shows that 64 percent of those polled are generally aware of the phase out of incandescent light bulbs, which is up from 52 percent last year and is a drastic increase from just 21 percent in 2008. While these findings show an increase in consumer awareness of the initial legislation, nearly 60 percent of Americans are still unaware that 60 and 40-watt incandescent bulbs will be phased out starting in January of 2014. These bulb wattages will join the 100-watt and the 75-watt, which were phased out in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
“OSRAM has invested heavily in providing American consumers the latest in lighting technologies, and we are pleased to be able to offer a variety of quality replacement bulbs that will satisfy our customers’ current and future needs,” said Jes Munk Hansen, President and CEO, OSRAM SYLVANIA. “We are committed to bringing innovative products to market, providing consumers with choices, and leading the industry in a time of transition from analog to digital.”
When asked about switching to more efficient lighting technologies, 46 percent of consumers polled plan to switch to CFLs, 24 percent will opt for LEDs, and 13 percent said they will choose halogen. Additionally, consumers uniformly agreed on what is important when making their lighting choices. Respondents say that brightness (92%), followed by lifespan (87%) and then energy usage (82%) and price (82%) are of the highest importance when choosing which bulb to buy.
Questions on the topic of smart lighting were new to the Socket Survey this year in an effort to understand current general consumer awareness with the intent of tracking future anticipated growth trends in this area of the industry.
Additional findings of the 2013 SYLVANIA Socket Survey include:
Consumer Habits and Trends
While 30 percent of respondents report owning LEDs, only 11 percent own stand-alone LEDs in sockets. Others use LEDs in holiday lights (55%) and in electronics (40%). Of the new lighting technologies, respondents were most likely to have heard of halogen bulbs (84%), followed by LEDs (72%), and then CFLs (64%). 72 percent of respondents said it was important that their bulbs be made in America. The top sources of information on lighting for consumers are in-store displays or employees (53%); friends and family (37%); and then consumer reviews (36%).
Phase-Out Feelings and New Technology Adoption
More than half (59%) of consumers are excited about the phase out, as it will help Americans use more energy-efficient light bulbs. Millennials tend to be less aware of the phase-out. Only 38 percent of millennials know about the phase-out in general, while 68 percent of those aged 35-54 and 71 percent of those over the age of 55 are aware of the legislation. While almost 9 in 10 consumers have heard of some form of new, energy-efficient lighting technology, only 65 percent plan to switch to these bulbs as a result of the phase out. Half of consumers are aware of smart lighting options, but only 1 in 10 consumers are interested in purchasing a smart lighting system to control home lighting remotely.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted over a 10-day period in the United States in November 2013. Three hundred interviews were conducted via landlines and cell phones.
