Incandescent Light Bulb Ban: What You Need to Know

As of August 1, 2023, incandescent light bulbs are banned in the United States. Incandescent bulbs can no longer be manufactured or sold in the US. The Department of Energy enacted a rule that was 16 years in the making in an effort to save on energy costs for Americans.

There are a few exceptions of products that can still use and manufacture incandescents for their products. Those exceptions are: 

• Bug lamps
• Appliances (i.e. refrigerators) 
• Floodlights
• Traffic signals
• Reflector lamps
• Color lamps
• Infrared lamps
• Black lights
• And other specialty lights such as marine lamps and left-handed thread lamps

We know change can be hard, so feel free to browse the best light bulb selection on our website. And below are some benefits of making the switch to LED bulbs from Kichler Lighting 

1. Saves You Money

   • Today’s LED bulbs can be 60-70 percent more energy efficient than conventional incandescent lights and cut energy use by up to 70 percent.

   • On average, the homeowner will save $75 per bulb on the lifetime operation of an Energy Star® LED bulb vs. a traditional incandescent. Multiply that by the number of bulbs in the home and the number of years the home is occupied and that can add up to a considerable savings.

   • LEDs are used in a wide range of applications because of their unique characteristics, which include compact size, ease of maintenance, resistance to breakage, and the ability to focus the light in a single direction instead of light spreading out in many directions.

2. Durability

   • There is no filament that can be broken, reducing the chance of breakage before use.

3. Instant-On

   • Unlike Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs), LEDs will turn on to their stated light output immediately – no waiting for the bulb to reach full illumination.

4. Environmental Factors

   • LEDs contain no mercury (like CFLs) and have a much smaller environmental impact.

   • UV Free - UV emissions are said to be harmful to health after prolonged exposure.

5.  Temperature

   • Incandescent bulbs release 90 percent of their energy as infrared radiation making them hot to the touch. While CFLs release 80 percent of their energy, a high-quality LED produces no infrared radiation keeping them typically cool to the touch. With little-wasted energy, LEDs ultimately save homeowners long-term energy costs.