Light bulb ban: DOE's ban on incandescent lightbulbs goes into effect

Stephanie Haines, Devan Markham

DALLAS (NewsNation) — Starting next week, Americans will only be able to purchase LED lights from retailers across the nation as an official ban on incandescent lightbulbs will go into effect.

Come Tuesday, while it won’t be illegal to own incandescent light bulbs, it will be illegal for stores to sell them and companies to manufacture them.

The federal government’s warnings started in January and have been getting progressively more aggressive as they want to make sure Americans don’t go back in time. The government announced a ban on the manufacturing and selling of incandescent bulbs, saying it will help Americans save money and help the environment.

Now, everyone will have to purchase LED or compact fluorescent light bulbs instead.

However, some critics of the ban are calling it government overreach, saying lawmakers should let Americans make their own decisions about the light bulbs in their houses.

The Department of Energy says LED lights provide more light using 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. Plus, LED lights are estimated to save families about $100 per year.

The average cost of an LED light bulb ranges from $5 to $7 each while an incandescent light bulb would normally range from $2 to $3 a bulb, according to a report from Lifehacker. However, LED bulbs save money in the long run because they use less energy to run and last longer.

The agency also claimed that discontinuing inefficient incandescent lights will save Americans nearly $3 billion yearly and substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years.

Despite the long-term benefits, some people said the decision to make the light switch should be their own, not the government’s.

Last week, a House subcommittee discussed the ban at a hearing titled, “Canceling Consumer Choice: Examining the Biden administration’s regulatory assault on American’s home appliances.”

“I’m happy the Department of Energy is out here, making sure that we can all save money because we’re too dumb to figure out how to do it ourselves,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R- Penn., said.

The hearing was in part a reference to gas stoves, which the House passed a bill to prohibit banning them last month despite the Consumer Product Safety Commission not currently considering a ban.

“These updated regulations are not an attempt to ban or take away appliances like gas stoves, light bulbs, or dishwashers,” Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said.

Manufacturers who violate the ban could face a maximum penalty of $542 per illicit bulb.

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Light bulb ban: DOE's ban on incandescent lightbulbs goes into effect