Incandescent Bulb Phase Out? Most Americans in the Dark

• Author: admin
• Filed under: Tech News
• Date: Dec 3,2008

The First Annual SYLVANIA Socket Survey, commissioned by lighting technology company, OSRAM SYLVANIA, a division of Siemens AG, highlights (pun intended) some bad, and mostly good information. While many Americans know many of the advantages of compact flourescent bulbs, 78% are unaware that standard incandescent bulbs will be phased out beginning in the year 2012.

The phase-out of incandescents is a result of the passage of the Clean Energy Act of 2007. That law addresses more than just light bulbs, but since lighting accounts for one-fifth of U.S. energy consumption, according to the Department of Energy, it’s obvious just how important light bulb efficiency is.

The key points related to light bulbs in the law are:

• Requires roughly 25 percent greater efficiency for light bulbs, phased in from 2012 through 2014. This effectively bans the sale of most current incandescent light bulbs.
• Various specialty bulbs, including appliance bulbs, colored lights, and 3-way bulbs, are exempt from these requirements.
• Requires roughly 200 percent greater efficiency for light bulbs, or similar energy savings, by 2020.

According to the “Socket Survey,”

• Energy efficiency ranks as a key factor, with 88 percent considering how much energy the bulb uses before purchasing a light bulb.
• Most consumers (85 percent) are aware that CFLs use less energy than incandescent bulbs; Seventy-seven percent also know CFLs last 10 times longer than traditional light bulbs
• Over the lifetime of the bulb, 78 percent believe that CFLs are less expensive than traditional light bulbs
• Sixty-eight percent are early adopters of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) with 76 percent willing to switch to CFLs in the future
• Only 21 percent of Americans have light emitting diodes (LEDs), which are widely touted as the ultimate successor to traditional light bulbs, in their homes.

Don’t forget, though, all CFLs contain mercury. Although CFL manufacturers, some with the urging of Wal-Mart, are working to reduce mercury in their bulbs, you shouldn’t just toss a CFL into the trash. It needs to be recycled.

Not sure where to recycle your CFLs or anything else? Earth911.com is a great source of information. Plug in what you want to recycle and say, your zip, and viola.

The survey was conducted over a three-day period in November; over 300 interviews were conducted with home owners and renters nationwide. The survey was conducted by phone, using random digit dial techniques.