House GOP Set To Repeal Incandescent Bulb Ban...

[Care4all]

Hey i'm really starting to like this Republican House of Representatives. It feels good to be proud of the Republican Party. It's been awhile...


Republican House members are preparing themselves to take a stand to save the incandescent light bulb.

Monday, the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 2417, the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, a bill to repeal the federal ban on the incandescent light bulb, contained in a 2007 energy law.

Sponsored by Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton, the bill would protect Americans’ ability to use the kind of light bulbs they want and not be forced to use mercury containing light sources such as compact fluorescent lights.

“This is about more than just energy consumption, it is about personal freedom. Voters sent us a message in November that it is time for politicians and activists in Washington to stop interfering in their lives and manipulating the free market,” Barton said. “The light bulb ban is the perfect symbol of that frustration. People don’t want Congress dictating what light fixtures they can use.”

Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess and Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn joined Barton and 12 other Republicans to reintroduce the bill in early 2011.

“These are the kinds of regulations that make the American people roll their eyes,” said Blackburn. “It is typical of a ‘big Washington’ solution to a non-existent problem. In this case it manifests itself as an overreach into every American home, one that ships good jobs overseas and infuriates the American consumer.” (FEMA faces House heat for taking over flood insurance policies)

Come Monday, Americans may be one step closer to having absolute freedom in their light source choices.

“Traditional incandescent bulbs are cheap and reliable. Alternatives, including the most common replacement Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFL’s, are more expensive and health hazards – so why force them on the American people?” said Barton. “From the health insurance you’re allowed to have, to the car you can drive, to the light bulbs you can buy, Washington is making too many decisions that are better left to you and your family.”

Incandescent Bulb Ban | Fluorescent Lights | House GOP | The Daily Caller

It should be up to consumers, not the govt, what bulbs are for sale on the market. If the efficient bulbs are better overall people will buy them. If the incandescents are better overall people will buy those.

Me I love my squiggly obamabulbs, they save me 20 bucks a month on electricity but that doesn't mean i should force others who may not be able to live with the akward light they give off to buy them too.

On a side note, I have several cases of the old bulbs so if/when they do come off the shelf i'll be charging 3x what i paid for them on ebay .

me too, i bought a gazillion of them.....but me thinks we wont become millionaires selling them, cuz everyone else that hates the CFL light have bought up stock as well....the supply will be too great, to make a mint off of them on the black market, so to say....imo!

 

[St.Blues]

I find it foolish for The US Congress to be involved in this light bulb debate.
Roger Clemons and the MLB steroid issue is another what the fuck are you doing here fiasco. Those assholes in DC have done a great job of fucking up the country socially and economically. They can't even get a light bulb decision right. I trust nothing about any of them these days.........

 

[Ravi]

Hey i'm really starting to like this Republican House of Representatives. It feels good to be proud of the Republican Party. It's been awhile...


Republican House members are preparing themselves to take a stand to save the incandescent light bulb.

Monday, the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 2417, the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, a bill to repeal the federal ban on the incandescent light bulb, contained in a 2007 energy law.

Sponsored by Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton, the bill would protect Americans’ ability to use the kind of light bulbs they want and not be forced to use mercury containing light sources such as compact fluorescent lights.

“This is about more than just energy consumption, it is about personal freedom. Voters sent us a message in November that it is time for politicians and activists in Washington to stop interfering in their lives and manipulating the free market,” Barton said. “The light bulb ban is the perfect symbol of that frustration. People don’t want Congress dictating what light fixtures they can use.”

Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess and Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn joined Barton and 12 other Republicans to reintroduce the bill in early 2011.

“These are the kinds of regulations that make the American people roll their eyes,” said Blackburn. “It is typical of a ‘big Washington’ solution to a non-existent problem. In this case it manifests itself as an overreach into every American home, one that ships good jobs overseas and infuriates the American consumer.” (FEMA faces House heat for taking over flood insurance policies)

Come Monday, Americans may be one step closer to having absolute freedom in their light source choices.

“Traditional incandescent bulbs are cheap and reliable. Alternatives, including the most common replacement Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFL’s, are more expensive and health hazards – so why force them on the American people?” said Barton. “From the health insurance you’re allowed to have, to the car you can drive, to the light bulbs you can buy, Washington is making too many decisions that are better left to you and your family.”

Incandescent Bulb Ban | Fluorescent Lights | House GOP | The Daily Caller

It should be up to consumers, not the govt, what bulbs are for sale on the market. If the efficient bulbs are better overall people will buy them. If the incandescents are better overall people will buy those.

Me I love my squiggly obamabulbs, they save me 20 bucks a month on electricity but that doesn't mean i should force others who may not be able to live with the akward light they give off to buy them too.

On a side note, I have several cases of the old bulbs so if/when they do come off the shelf i'll be charging 3x what i paid for them on ebay .

me too, i bought a gazillion of them.....but me thinks we wont become millionaires selling them, cuz everyone else that hates the CFL light have bought up stock as well....the supply will be too great, to make a mint off of them on the black market, so to say....imo!

I hate to break it to you Care, but more than likely you have wasted your money. There are already INCANDESCENT bulbs that meet the energy standard:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Philips-75-Watt-EcoVantage-Light-White/dp/B001FA07TI]Amazon.com: Philips 75-Watt A19 EcoVantage Light Bulb, Soft White, 2 Pack: Home Improvement[/ame]

 

[Zoom-boing]

It should be up to consumers, not the govt, what bulbs are for sale on the market. If the efficient bulbs are better overall people will buy them. If the incandescents are better overall people will buy those.

Me I love my squiggly obamabulbs, they save me 20 bucks a month on electricity but that doesn't mean i should force others who may not be able to live with the akward light they give off to buy them too.

On a side note, I have several cases of the old bulbs so if/when they do come off the shelf i'll be charging 3x what i paid for them on ebay .

me too, i bought a gazillion of them.....but me thinks we wont become millionaires selling them, cuz everyone else that hates the CFL light have bought up stock as well....the supply will be too great, to make a mint off of them on the black market, so to say....imo!

I hate to break it to you Care, but more than likely you have wasted your money. There are already INCANDESCENT bulbs that meet the energy standard:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Philips-75-Watt-EcoVantage-Light-White/dp/B001FA07TI]Amazon.com: Philips 75-Watt A19 EcoVantage Light Bulb, Soft White, 2 Pack: Home Improvement[/ame]

Those bulbs sell for $6.68 for TWO bulbs; 'old' incandescent bulbs sell for $.99 for FOUR and you get them even cheaper if you buy them on a BOGO sale.

You miss the point. What is/will be available will be exorbitantly more expensive than 'old' incandescent bulbs (see your link). The 'cheap' option will be the cfls.

So gov't intervenes, the cheap option disappears and joe schmoe is stuck with less-but-more-expensive choice.

Brilliant.

 

[Ravi]

me too, i bought a gazillion of them.....but me thinks we wont become millionaires selling them, cuz everyone else that hates the CFL light have bought up stock as well....the supply will be too great, to make a mint off of them on the black market, so to say....imo!

I hate to break it to you Care, but more than likely you have wasted your money. There are already INCANDESCENT bulbs that meet the energy standard:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Philips-75-Watt-EcoVantage-Light-White/dp/B001FA07TI]Amazon.com: Philips 75-Watt A19 EcoVantage Light Bulb, Soft White, 2 Pack: Home Improvement[/ame]

Those bulbs sell for $6.68 for TWO bulbs; 'old' incandescent bulbs sell for $.99 for FOUR and you get them even cheaper if you buy them on a BOGO sale.

You miss the point. What is/will be available will be exorbitantly more expensive than 'old' incandescent bulbs (see your link). The 'cheap' option will be the cfls.

So gov't intervenes, the cheap option disappears and joe schmoe is stuck with less-but-more-expensive choice.

Brilliant.

The prices will come down and more manufacturers start producing.

Gotta love that free market, baby!

 

[Care4all]

i like the heat the incandescents put off, plus the light... if i were in florida, i would hate the heat the incandescent lights put out and buy the cfl's or LEDs for that alone....!!! my parents use the cfl in everything....I have one in the living area, with other incandescent lights available if i need it brighter.... and I have them in my porch lights....and a florescent light in the laundry area.... I am trying to ween myself off of the incandescent and in to them, but it is going to take me a while...

my house is always cold, summer and winter....I am freezing now in fact...it got cold last night...in the 50's....the heat from the incandescent light bulbs when i woke up this morning was like turning the electric space heater on!

 

[Ravi]

i like the heat the incandescents put off, plus the light... if i were in florida, i would hate the heat the incandescent lights put out and buy the cfl's or LEDs for that alone....!!! my parents use the cfl in everything....I have one in the living area, with other incandescent lights available if i need it brighter.... and I have them in my porch lights....and a florescent light in the laundry area.... I am trying to ween myself off of the incandescent and in to them, but it is going to take me a while...

my house is always cold, summer and winter....I am freezing now in fact...it got cold last night...in the 50's....the heat from the incandescent light bulbs when i woke up this morning was like turning the electric space heater on!

You'll like the new halogens then.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I hate to break it to you Care, but more than likely you have wasted your money. There are already INCANDESCENT bulbs that meet the energy standard:

Amazon.com: Philips 75-Watt A19 EcoVantage Light Bulb, Soft White, 2 Pack: Home Improvement

Those bulbs sell for $6.68 for TWO bulbs; 'old' incandescent bulbs sell for $.99 for FOUR and you get them even cheaper if you buy them on a BOGO sale.

You miss the point. What is/will be available will be exorbitantly more expensive than 'old' incandescent bulbs (see your link). The 'cheap' option will be the cfls.

So gov't intervenes, the cheap option disappears and joe schmoe is stuck with less-but-more-expensive choice.

Brilliant.

The prices will come down and more manufacturers start producing.

Gotta love that free market, baby!

But the cheapest such bulbs are likely to disappear from store shelves between 2012 and 2014, driven off the market by the government’s new standard. Compact fluorescents, which can cost as little as $1 apiece, may become the bargain option, with consumers having to spend two or three times as much to get the latest energy-efficient incandescents.

People will buy the cheapest bulbs . . . which will be the cfls for quite sometime.

The gov't took away the choice for a cheap regular bulb.

 

[Ravi]

Well, look at that....the prices have already come down and they are cheaper than CFLs.

Energy Efficient Incandescent Light Bulbs | 1000Bulbs.com

 

[Care4all]

I think below 45 watts won't be regulated....that bulb is 38 watts....?

 

[Ravi]

I think below 45 watts won't be regulated....that bulb is 38 watts....?

The one under it is 95.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Well, look at that....the prices have already come down and they are cheaper than CFLs.

Energy Efficient Incandescent Light Bulbs | 1000Bulbs.com

How is this an energy efficient bulb? It has 1,000 life hours.

So does a regular incandescent bulb.

 

[Flopper]

The first bulbs to emerge from this push, Philips Lighting’s Halogena Energy Savers, are expensive compared with older incandescents. They sell for $5 apiece and more, compared with as little as 25 cents for standard bulbs.

While the first commercial product achieves only a 30 percent efficiency gain, the company says it has achieved 50 percent in the laboratory. No lighting manufacturer has agreed yet to bring the latest technology to market, but Deposition Sciences hopes to persuade one.

Despite a decade of campaigns by the government and utilities to persuade people to switch to energy-saving compact fluorescents, incandescent bulbs still occupy an estimated 90 percent of household sockets in the United States.Aside from the aesthetic and practical objections to fluorescents, old-style incandescents have the advantage of being remarkably cheap.


But the cheapest such bulbs are likely to disappear from store shelves between 2012 and 2014, driven off the market by the government’s new standard. Compact fluorescents, which can cost as little as $1 apiece, may become the bargain option, with consumers having to spend two or three times as much to get the latest energy-efficient incandescents.

A third technology, bulbs using light-emitting diodes, promises remarkable gains in efficiency but is still expensive. Prices can exceed $100 for a single LED bulb, and results from a government testing program indicate such bulbs still have performance problems.

That suggests that LEDs — though widely used in specialized applications like electronic products and, increasingly, street lights — may not displace incumbent technologies in the home any time soon.

Given how costly the new bulbs are, big lighting companies are moving gradually. Osram will introduce a new line of incandescents in September that are 25 percent more efficient. The bulbs will feature a redesigned capsule with higher-quality gas inside and will sell for a starting price of about $3. That is less than the Philips product already on the market, but they will have shorter life spans. G.E. also plans to introduce a line of household incandescents that will comply with the new standards.

Mr. Calwell predicts “a lot more flavors” of incandescent bulbs coming out in the future. “It’s hard to be an industry leader in the crowded C.F.L field,” he said. “But a company could truly differentiate itself with a better incandescent.”

They have a long way to go and what they do have available is exorbitantly expensive. Fuck if I'm going to pay freakin $5 or even $3 for a God damn light bulb.

I posted the large bolded above in an earlier post . . . in a few years the cheap incandescents will be gone from store shelves and the 'cheap' option will be the $1+ per bulb cfls. Are haz mat instructions included in the packaging?

The companies were developing all of these more efficient light bulbs but the government didn't feel they were moving fast enough so they forced the issue. By doing so they eliminated choice --- the choice to buy a cheap bulb -- and are forcing folks to either a) buy the cfls because they will be the cheapest thing around or b) pay through the nose for the more expensive bulbs. There won't be any other option available.

And who is this going to hit most? Hmmm, hmmmm .. . . . .

I wonder . . . can you buy cfl's with food stamps?

3 years ago I purchased 30 CFLs, (13watt bulbs that are equivalent to 60 watt incandescent) for $45. Today, you can buy them at Lowe’s at $24.98 for 18 bulbs. That’s $1.38/bulb not $5.

Shop Lighting & Fans : Light Bulbs : Fluorescent Light Bulbs : Multipurpose Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs at Lowes.com
So far after 3 years I have not replaced a single bulb.

You don’t need anybody to tell you how much these bulbs save you. Just multiply the total wattage you use times the hours you use them times the rate for your electricity. In my case:

We pay 11.1 cents/kwh.
I estimate we run an average of 5 60watt bulbs (13watt for CFLs) 10 hours a day

To determine to the cost multiply bulb wattage (13w) x avg. hours used/day x number of bulbs. Then divide by a thousand and multiply by the rate. That gives you the cost/day. Multiple by 365 for cost per year.

In my case the cost is (13w x 10 hrs. x 5 bulbs)/1000 *.11 *365 = $26.09/yr for CFL’s
The cost of using incandescent bulbs is 4.6 times the cost of using CFLs (60w/13w) or 4.6 x $26.09 = $120.01

Summary:
Cost of the bulbs = $45
Cost of using incandescent = $120.14/yr
Cost of using CFL’s =$26.09.
Cost savings/yr = $75.14. After 3 years I have replace no bulbs. Not a bad investment.

 

[Oddball]

Charts, graphs and mathematical formulas still don't make any of this any of your business.

 

[Zoom-boing]

The first bulbs to emerge from this push, Philips Lighting’s Halogena Energy Savers, are expensive compared with older incandescents. They sell for $5 apiece and more, compared with as little as 25 cents for standard bulbs.

While the first commercial product achieves only a 30 percent efficiency gain, the company says it has achieved 50 percent in the laboratory. No lighting manufacturer has agreed yet to bring the latest technology to market, but Deposition Sciences hopes to persuade one.

Despite a decade of campaigns by the government and utilities to persuade people to switch to energy-saving compact fluorescents, incandescent bulbs still occupy an estimated 90 percent of household sockets in the United States.Aside from the aesthetic and practical objections to fluorescents, old-style incandescents have the advantage of being remarkably cheap.


But the cheapest such bulbs are likely to disappear from store shelves between 2012 and 2014, driven off the market by the government’s new standard. Compact fluorescents, which can cost as little as $1 apiece, may become the bargain option, with consumers having to spend two or three times as much to get the latest energy-efficient incandescents.

A third technology, bulbs using light-emitting diodes, promises remarkable gains in efficiency but is still expensive. Prices can exceed $100 for a single LED bulb, and results from a government testing program indicate such bulbs still have performance problems.

That suggests that LEDs — though widely used in specialized applications like electronic products and, increasingly, street lights — may not displace incumbent technologies in the home any time soon.

Given how costly the new bulbs are, big lighting companies are moving gradually. Osram will introduce a new line of incandescents in September that are 25 percent more efficient. The bulbs will feature a redesigned capsule with higher-quality gas inside and will sell for a starting price of about $3. That is less than the Philips product already on the market, but they will have shorter life spans. G.E. also plans to introduce a line of household incandescents that will comply with the new standards.

Mr. Calwell predicts “a lot more flavors” of incandescent bulbs coming out in the future. “It’s hard to be an industry leader in the crowded C.F.L field,” he said. “But a company could truly differentiate itself with a better incandescent.”

They have a long way to go and what they do have available is exorbitantly expensive. Fuck if I'm going to pay freakin $5 or even $3 for a God damn light bulb.

I posted the large bolded above in an earlier post . . . in a few years the cheap incandescents will be gone from store shelves and the 'cheap' option will be the $1+ per bulb cfls. Are haz mat instructions included in the packaging?

The companies were developing all of these more efficient light bulbs but the government didn't feel they were moving fast enough so they forced the issue. By doing so they eliminated choice --- the choice to buy a cheap bulb -- and are forcing folks to either a) buy the cfls because they will be the cheapest thing around or b) pay through the nose for the more expensive bulbs. There won't be any other option available.

And who is this going to hit most? Hmmm, hmmmm .. . . . .

I wonder . . . can you buy cfl's with food stamps?

3 years ago I purchased 30 CFLs, (13watt bulbs that are equivalent to 60 watt incandescent) for $45. Today, you can buy them at Lowe’s at $24.98 for 18 bulbs. That’s $1.38/bulb not $5.

Shop Lighting & Fans : Light Bulbs : Fluorescent Light Bulbs : Multipurpose Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs at Lowes.com
So far after 3 years I have not replaced a single bulb.

You don’t need anybody to tell you how much these bulbs save you. Just multiply the total wattage you use times the hours you use them times the rate for your electricity. In my case:

We pay 11.1 cents/kwh.
I estimate we run an average of 5 60watt bulbs (13watt for CFLs) 10 hours a day

To determine to the cost multiply bulb wattage (13w) x avg. hours used/day x number of bulbs. Then divide by a thousand and multiply by the rate. That gives you the cost/day. Multiple by 365 for cost per year.

In my case the cost is (13w x 10 hrs. x 5 bulbs)/1000 *.11 *365 = $26.09/yr for CFL’s
The cost of using incandescent bulbs is 4.6 times the cost of using CFLs (60w/13w) or 4.6 x $26.09 = $120.01

Summary:
Cost of the bulbs = $45
Cost of using incandescent = $120.14/yr
Cost of using CFL’s =$26.09.
Cost savings/yr = $75.14. After 3 years I have replace no bulbs. Not a bad investment.

Isn't it nice that you got to choose to use the cfls? I don't like cfls and wouldn't use them no matter how much they saved me. It should be my choice if I want to pay $26/yr or $120/yr. for my bulb usage.

I picked up a pack of 4 75W incandescents for a buck (.25 per bulb). But now I get to pay $1.38 per bulb? That's over a 400% increase!! No thanks. Oh, I forgot. I got my bulbs on a bogo sale so they only cost me .125 per bulb. So the increase is . . . omg. SRSLY??

You paid $45 for 30 cfl's. I paid $3.75 for 30 regular incandescents. I paid about $40 less than you did so deduct that from your $75/yr savings. For $35/yr savings for shitty cfls light bulbs that require special clean-up when they burn out or break and need to be separately disposed of??

Again, from the article: But the cheapest such bulbs are likely to disappear from store shelves between 2012 and 2014, driven off the market by the government’s new standard. Compact fluorescents, which can cost as little as $1 apiece, may become the bargain option, with consumers having to spend two or three times as much to get the latest energy-efficient incandescents.

 

[Bill Angel]

I hate to break it to you Care, but more than likely you have wasted your money. There are already INCANDESCENT bulbs that meet the energy standard:

Amazon.com: Philips 75-Watt A19 EcoVantage Light Bulb, Soft White, 2 Pack: Home Improvement

Those bulbs sell for $6.68 for TWO bulbs; 'old' incandescent bulbs sell for $.99 for FOUR and you get them even cheaper if you buy them on a BOGO sale.

You miss the point. What is/will be available will be exorbitantly more expensive than 'old' incandescent bulbs (see your link). The 'cheap' option will be the cfls.

So gov't intervenes, the cheap option disappears and joe schmoe is stuck with less-but-more-expensive choice.

Brilliant.

The prices will come down and more manufacturers start producing.

Gotta love that free market, baby!

Buyers of electric lighting products, regardless of choice, might wish to check out the information at : US Stuff (lighting)
The site provides information on the availability of lighting products MADE IN THE USA.

I wonder how much energy is used up transporting stuff that is made in China to the USA?

 

[Ravi]

I can't do all your shopping for you, but here's one that lasts 5,000 hours for 69 cents.

Halco 6321 -- 60 Watt - Frost - A19 - 5,000 Life Hours - 520 Lumens - 130 Volt | 1000Bulbs.com

 

[elvis]

I can't do all your shopping for you, but here's one that lasts 5,000 hours for 69 cents.

Halco 6321 -- 60 Watt - Frost - A19 - 5,000 Life Hours - 520 Lumens - 130 Volt | 1000Bulbs.com

good number.

 

[Ravi]

Those bulbs sell for $6.68 for TWO bulbs; 'old' incandescent bulbs sell for $.99 for FOUR and you get them even cheaper if you buy them on a BOGO sale.

You miss the point. What is/will be available will be exorbitantly more expensive than 'old' incandescent bulbs (see your link). The 'cheap' option will be the cfls.

So gov't intervenes, the cheap option disappears and joe schmoe is stuck with less-but-more-expensive choice.

Brilliant.

The prices will come down and more manufacturers start producing.

Gotta love that free market, baby!

Buyers of electric lighting products, regardless of choice, might wish to check out the information at : US Stuff (lighting)
The site provides information on the availability of lighting products MADE IN THE USA.

I wonder how much energy is used up transporting stuff that is made in China to the USA?

Nice link! A US company that makes incandescents that last 20,000 hours.

Manufacturer of Incandescent & Fluorescent Lighting-Schaumburg, Illinois-Aero-Tech Light Bulb Co.

 

[ShackledNation]

So far the idea behind this ban boils down to "I think fluorescent bulbs are better and more efficient so I think everyone should have to buy them." That is statism at its worst, when objective mandates by those in power coercively replace subjective choices of individuals.