Changing Light Bulb Perceptions

Changing Light Bulb Perceptions 
In just a few months time, Americans can start saying goodbye to Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb, an invention that's been lighting millions of homes around the world for the last 100 years or so. Due to U.S. federal legislation passed in 2007, incandescent light bulbs between 40 and 100 watts will be phased out between January 2012 and January 2014, and will be replaced by more energy-efficient lighting solutions such as halogen lamps, compact fluorescent lamps (more commonly known as CFLs) and LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs.

As with any piece of American legislation, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 have been met with some resistance. For one, the phase out of cheap, but energy-inefficient light bulbs will mean that consumers will have to spend more in order to light their homes. CFLs today normally cost around $2 to $3. Halogen lamps and LED light bulbs on the other hand, normally cost $10 and $20 to $30 respectively. Of course, what most people forget is that the initial cost of purchasing new bulbs is definitely worth the savings that can be gained in the long run.

Interestingly enough, CFLs have long been adopted by many homeowners, even before the legislation became official. In fact, statistics show that close to half of the bulbs sold in America are made of CFLs, LEDs and halogens. Most contractors even point out that the legislation will have little effect on home lighting, particularly recessed lighting.

What needs to be done now to convince consumers to make the switch is to spread information on what they should check for when buying light bulbs. In the old days, consumers would look at a bulb's wattage to determine its brightness; that standard no longer applies today, as most 10-watt CFL bulbs produce the same lighting power as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Instead, the lumens rating of a bulb is what buyers need to look out for, as this will be the main indicator of the strength of light generated by a bulb.