New Government Regulations Means Changes Coming To Light Bulbs

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Light bulbs as we know them are about to change.

New government regulations mean the bulbs you have purchased for years will soon be history.

The change is already coming when it comes to light bulbs. As of Jan. 1, light bulb manufacturers will no longer be able to make 100 watt incandescent light bulbs.

"The hundred watt light bulb will be eliminated over the next couple of months in most stores," Doug Satterfield, owner of Rollier's Hardware, said.

There are loopholes in the law. Manufacturers will still be able to make and sell three-way bulbs that include a 100 watt setting and higher.

However, the goal is to get people to switch to bulbs that use a fraction of the energy to produce the same amount of light.

"These new light bulbs that have come out, the CFLs and the halogens, they give you the lumens with less wattage and we explain that to our customers so they better understand why they need to switch to the newer type light bulbs," said Satterfield.

Yhere are a lot of alternatives to the old 100 watt bulb, but Satterfield thinks the bigger issue comes up in July.

That's when you won't be able to buy those old fluorescent tubes, the four-foot fixtures you have in your basement or your garage, anymore. More than that, the new bulbs won't fit in your old fixtures either.

"That's the one thing that is really going to frustrate consumers is that they can't just put another bulb in the socket and still use their lamp. They have to eliminate the fixture," Satterfield added. "You aren't going to buy a ballast and redo the wiring. It costs too much; you are going to have to take the fixture down and throw it away and buy a new one."

But the first phase will be as simple as picking up a slightly different looking bulb after Jan. 1.

RELATED LINKS:
Rollier's Hardware
More Featured Stories