The light bulb most Americans have used in their homes for more than a century will no longer be sold in the United States starting Tuesday.

What You Need To Know

  • Incandescent bulb restrictions start Tuesday

  • Goal is to conserve energy, cut electric bills

  • LED bulbs are often more expensive but last longer

On Tuesday, manufacturers and retailers will no longer be able to produce or sell most incandescent bulbs, in keeping with revised Energy Department standards. Americans are still allowed to own and use the bulbs.

The goal is to conserve energy, help the environment and cut electric bills.

“It’s a really significant milestone,” said Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Attorney Joe Vukovich. “It’s a long time coming.”

It was under the George W. Bush administration when Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to increase efficiency of bulbs. The standards were finalized under the Obama administration.

But the gradual transition to LED light bulbs has been slowed by delays in Congress and the Trump administration’s efforts to stop the changeover.

The LEDs use only a fraction of the energy that incandescent bulbs need.

The Department of Energy estimates that after 30 years, the change will result in emission reductions equaling those created by powering 29 million homes in a year.

“You don’t want the United States to become the dumping ground for the world’s inefficient and wasteful light bulbs,” Vukovich said. “LEDs use just phenomenally less energy to light a room than an incandescent light bulb.”

While LEDs are often more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they last much longer.

Jeff Hastings owns Burke Brothers Hardware store in Raleigh, North Carolina, and said he’s been preparing for the transition for years. The store is also responding to questions from customers.

“The younger generation doesn’t even ask anymore. They’re just going straight to the LEDs,” Hastings said. “It’s the older generation we’re just taking more time to explain and educate, what it’s like now and what it’s going to be like going forward.”

Burke Brothers transitioned to using LEDs in the store about seven years ago, Hastings said.

“In this store, seven years ago, we switched over completely from fluorescent to LEDs, and our energy savings the first month went down $300 ... within about seven months the light bulbs paid for themselves.”

But the regulation hasn’t sat well with everyone.

In a Congressional hearing in July, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said the incandescent ban is part of a regulatory assault on home appliances.

“I sure am happy the Department of Energy is out here making sure that we can all save money, because we’re too dumb to figure it out ourselves,” Perry said. 

Hastings admits it’s a learning curve for some customers used to traditional light bulbs.

“It’s just treating one customer at a time, letting them know it will be fine,” Hastings said.