Federal Government Bans Americans From Buying Popular Household Item

The federal government’s ban on incandescent light bulbs took effect on Tuesday, more than a decade and a half after such a rule was first proposed intending to promote energy efficiency.

A federal regulation to ban incandescent light bulbs was initially issued in 2007 following the enactment of the Energy Independence and Security Act during the Bush administration. Implementation of the ban was delayed from its initial date of 2012, then the rule was broadened during the Obama administration before it was reversed by the Trump administration.

The Biden administration in April 2022 moved ahead with a new rule from the Dept. of Energy (DOE) banning incandescent light bulbs starting on August 1, 2023. The rule requires that light bulbs must emit at least 45 lumens per watt (a lumen is a measure of brightness). It also bans the manufacture and sale of non-conforming bulbs – but not their use, so consumers may use such bulbs that they already possess.

The rule effectively bans most incandescent light bulbs because they typically produce about 15 lumens per watt according to Philips, a leading light bulb maker. However, the rule contains exceptions allowing incandescent bulbs to continue to be manufactured and sold if they’re used in things like household appliances or certain types of lamps, including those for bugs, plants, or marine signals, among others.

A regulatory enforcement memo from the DOE issued days after the rule was announced last year indicated that the agency will pursue civil penalties against manufacturers and private labelers that knowingly violate the ban, although it’s unclear from the document what those penalties may entail. (Read more from “Federal Government Bans Americans From Buying Popular Household Item” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.