You will no longer be able to buy an incandescent light bulb in New York: it is prohibited by law

It’s the end of an era for a popular household item that people have been using since the 1800s. It’s time for us to say goodbye to the incandescent light bulb, writes The Hawk.

Since yesterday (August 1), the ban on incandescent lamps has officially come into force not only in New York, but throughout the United States. This is an important step towards more energy efficient and environmentally friendly lighting options, lawmakers say.

According to the law, it is not illegal to own incandescent light bulbs, but they can no longer be made, sold, or bought.

In 2007, the US Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which, among other things, set energy efficient lighting standards requiring light bulbs to use less energy. In particular, they must consume at least 25% less energy than traditional incandescent lamps. So now they are banned.

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Incandescent light bulbs have long been known to be inefficient, converting only a small fraction of the electricity they consume into light, while most of it is wasted as heat. Experts say that this outdated technology not only wastes energy, but also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which is why they have been banned.

The United States began phasing out some types of incandescent light bulbs in August 2022 to prepare consumers for a complete ban. Now, the only light bulbs consumers will find on store shelves are energy-saving alternatives: compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs).