March 29, 2024

Europe Sees The Light On CFL

Europe Bans 100W Light Bulb

A European Union ban on the manufacture and import of 100 watt and frosted incandescent light bulbs, in use since the 19th Century, has come into force.

The EU wants the bulbs to be replaced mainly by longer-lasting compact fluorescent lamps.

The Energy Saving Trust says fluorescent lighting uses 80% less electricity than traditional bulbs.

The ban will be extended to all incandescent bulbs by 2012.

Both Europe and the United States now have plans for the eventual phaseout of the energy inefficient incandescent light bulb, a relic that has been virtually unchanged since its invention by Thomas Edison.  Given the high cost of energy and the long lead times to develop alternative energy sources, banning the incandescent light bulb is a quick and painless way to conserve energy and reduce home owner’s energy costs.

The merits of the compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) had been explored in a previous post – A Bright Idea – CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs)

The Energy Department announced new lighting standards that are expected to reduce the nations energy bill by $4 billion annually when implemented in 2012.

The change that will affect the average American the most will be the ban on the sale of standard  incandescent light bulbs in 2014.  Huge energy savings are already immediately available to every American by simply replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent.  One has to wonder,  why would the Energy Department take another 5 years to ban the energy wasteful incandescent bulb?

Replacing just one incandescent bulb with a CFL can save a homeowner roughly $90 over four years in electricity cost.  Incredibly, many Americans still chose the much more costly incandescent bulb over the much less expensive and energy efficient CFL because of the cost difference up front.  An incandescent bulb can cost 25 cents while a CFL can cost $2 to $3.

Given the facts involved, why would most people still use the much more costly incandescent light bulb?  Is it simply a case of consumer ignorance – or is the average American budget simply too tight to afford the right choice?

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