Are Democrats insane?
The energy efficiency and climate agenda of the Biden administration includes a nationwide ban on light bulbs, which is currently being prepared for implementation.
According to Fox, in April 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) finalized regulations that prohibit retailers from selling incandescent light bulbs. The ban is scheduled to come into effect on Aug. 1, 2023, with the DOE planning to enforce it completely from that date. However, the department has already started advising retailers to switch away from this type of light bulb and has been issuing warning notices to companies in recent months.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm explained, “The lighting industry is already embracing more energy efficient products, and this measure will accelerate progress to deliver the best products to American consumers and build a better and brighter future.”
The DOE has stated that the implementation of the regulations will result in an estimated annual saving of $3 billion for consumers on their utility bills. Moreover, it is expected to bring down carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next 30 years.
The regulations will disallow the use of incandescent and comparable halogen light bulbs and instead promote light-emitting diode (LED) alternatives. Although the number of households in the US using LED light bulbs has increased since 2015, according to the latest findings from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey, less than half of households reported that they are using primarily or only LED bulbs.
According to federal data, 47% of households use LED bulbs primarily or exclusively, 15% use mainly incandescent or halogen bulbs, and 12% use mostly or exclusively compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. Another 26% of households did not report a dominant type of light bulb. In December, the DOE introduced separate regulations prohibiting the sale of CFL bulbs, clearing the way for LED bulbs to be the only legally available type of light bulb.
Based on the survey results, LED bulbs are more prevalent in households with higher incomes, indicating that the energy regulations will have a more significant impact on lower-income Americans. The data shows that while 54% of households with an income of over $100,000 per year use LED bulbs, only 39% of households with an income of $20,000 or less use them.