Eurpopean Union Begins Phase Out of Incandescent Lamps. USA Follows

[MountainDon]

Starting 1 September 2009, the European Union began a multi-year phaseout of inefficient light bulbs; the first lamps to go will be 100-watt and frosted incandescent bulbs.


http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=406040&NewsAreaID=2

[Squirl]

I also remember some states are doing this.  I believe Delaware will be one of the first.  The only use I have used them for in the past few years is an incubator heater.  The cost benefit of a CF to an incandescent doesn't even compare.  They sell 11w CF's at the dollar store now.  You can buy 13W bulbs in packs of 6 or 8 for less than $1 a piece at the box stores.  At the average price of $.15/Khw from the power company, even if they gave incandescent bulbs away, cf's would be cheaper after 100 hours of use.

[MountainDon]

I agree that CFL's are the way to go for most uses.  They've picked on the 100 watt frosted incandescent as the first to go, although eventually they will work their way through virtually all incandescent bulbs. My gripe is that a CFL in a seldom used and cold place, like the attic in winter, is a lousy light. The ones I've used are slow to warm up and give of their rated number of lumens. CFL's also suffer a shortened life when put through short "on" cycles. I believe there are still a few places where an incandescent is suitable. Perhaps technology will improve on those faults.

About the only incandescent lamps we still have in use are: light in the attic, light in the outdoor shed, the rough duty bulbs in the workshop trouble lights, and of course those odd shaped appliance bulbs. Those are not in the WU program as yet.

[ScottA]

I like the CFL's and use them for most everything but there are still needs for regular bulbs. They shouldn't be outlawed though just raise the price a little higher than CFL's and add the money to the global warming cooler fund..err, I mean give it to Al Gore.

[n74tg]

The same phase-out is scheduled to happen here in the U.S. in 2012.

[MountainDon]

For the USA:  

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 in December 2007, requires all general-purpose light bulbs that produce 310 - 2600 lumens of light be 30% more energy efficient (similar to current halogen lamps) than current incandescent bulbs by 2012 to 2014. The efficiency standards will start with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014.

Bulbs outside this range of basically, light bulbs historically less than 40 Watts or more than 150 Watts are exempt from the restrictions. Also exempt are several classes of specialty lights, including appliance lamps, "rough service" bulbs, 3-way, colored lamps, and plant lights.

By 2020, a second tier of restrictions would become effective; which requires all general-purpose bulbs to produce at least 45 lumens per watt (similar to current CFLs). Exempt from the Act are reflector "flood", 3-way, candelabra, colored, and other specialty bulbs.

I'm not sure of the wording; the EU has made production and import illegal, not possession.

CFL use has cut our electrical usage, not the size of the bill as much as the KwH.

[MushCreek]

I guess all of the mercury in them will just go away quietly.....

I'm stockpiling a few case of incandescents for incubators and cold weather locations. They are useful for some things, and I'm sure the price will go WAY up for the few available once they've been phased out. We've gone over to all CFL's in our house, but we still have several fixtures that use 4' tubes, and they draw quite a bit. The one in the utility room (which everyone leaves on, all of the time) is 4 tubes, or 160 watts, and the one in the kitchen (which everyone leaves on, all of the time) is the same size. My efforts to train my wife (who bought all of the CFL's in the first place) have so far been in vain. My next step is to put them on motion sensors.

Of course, while people are busy saving the planet 13 watts at a time, they still keep their house at a perfect 72 degrees year-round.