Will You Be Busted in Great Falls for Using This?

If you have purchased a lightbulb over the last couple of years, you probably noticed that replacing the same incandescent bulb in your home is now instead an LED bulb.  Finding an incandescent bulb is virtually impossible, actually, it is literally impossible as of this week.

The ban on most incandescent bulbs is now being fully enforced by the Biden administration.

No, They Won't Be Coming for The Lightbulbs in Your Home

The new rule, which in fact first started with the Bush administration in 2007, was aimed at phasing out the incandescent bulb.  The objective was to relieve some of the emissions of the bulbs on our energy sectors.

That may have you thinking that someone will be showing up at your door because you bought a case of incandescent bulbs last year.  Don't!  This ruling taking effect this week targets companies, not individuals.

Nobody will be coming to your door with a ladder to start removing bulbs from the chandelier.

You Won't Find Them on Shelves Ever Again, Be Prepared

Even though the ruling was finalized last year, manufacturers, importers and private labelers were the only people being targeted.  Distributors and retailers were given extra time to sell the bulbs they had on hand.

As of July 31st, 2023, this phase in has ended.  Those same retailers and distributors will now face fines of up to $542 per violation.

While this may cause a little stress for us as consumers as we try to update our incandescent bulbs to the latest LED versions, it is beneficial to our planet.  The Energy Department projects that over the course of 30 years, they will cut carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons.  It's also beneficial to us as consumers.  The Energy Department also says that the rules could save nearly $3 billion per year on utility bills.  That also equates to savings at schools and businesses, which could affect other costs.

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