Confused about Lamp Legislation? You are not alone. Today’s Lamp choices are many, and due to US Fed’l Legislation, certain bulb types that we are all used to are being phased out and replaced with more efficient Lamps. Actually, that’s a good thing as we all take part in helping to conserve electrical consumption, which has a major impact on the environment as well as saving us money in terms of operating costs (electrical costs to operate our Lamps and Lighting Fixtures).

Major Lamp manufacturers have been hard at work to introduce newer and more efficient Lamp types to replace those energy guzzlers of the past. These new products must meet minimum Fed’l Energy Efficiency standards. It is to our benefit that these newer Lamp types not only reduce energy consumption but also provide the light output and color quality of light that we expect. Since the majority of your Cost of Light is due to electrical operating costs, it makes good sense to choose more efficient Lamps that reduce those costs. And keep in mind that when Legislation laws take effect in terms of phasing out certain Lamp types, it does not mean that you can no longer use or purchase those phased-out products. It means that manufacturers can no longer manufacture or import phased-out products for resale. Supplies will start to dwindle as inventories sell out, causing Users to look for more efficient replacement Lamps.

Should newer replacement types cost a bit more, and typically they do……keep in mind that reducing your electrical consumption (wattage) in terms of savings will far outweigh any added costs for the products. Overall, it is a benefit to Users. New technologies such as LEDs can dramatically reduce energy costs and also provide extremely long life compared to traditional Lamp types. When upgrading to LEDs, look for a similar shape/size/base with the SAME approx. Lumens (light output). You will be surprised at the much lower wattage ratings when upgrading to LEDs.

Searching for detailed information about Lamp Legislation can be a daunting task. At WhatWatt, we did some work for you. One of our premier partners, Philips Lighting has an excellent online tool to determine your options when looking to replace traditional Lamps that have been phased out due to Legislation. It provides a good, better, best replacement option for most phased-out products.

For all your Lamp and Lighting needs, WhatWatt is here to serve you!