As you probably know by now, there is a new law on the books that bans the sale of incandescent light bulbs. The ban on 100 watt incandescents will go into effect at the end of this year with 40 watt bulbs wrapping up the phase-out in 2014.
With this impending ban in mind, many consumers are buying up stockpiles of incandescent bulbs and saving them for later use when they will no longer be available for purchase in stores.
Should you join the merry band of hoarders as well? In my opinion, yes. I gave the much-hyped and grossly over-priced compact fluorescent bulbs a try, and to say the least I was underwhelmed. Besides being just plain ugly, they provide a paltry amount of light and they don’t last anywhere near as long as the claims would have you believe. I have already bought up several dozen incandescent bulbs of various wattages, enough in fact to last me and my wife the rest of our lifetimes in all likelihood.
Of course the decision to stockpile or not is entirely up to you, but I’m doing it and so are most of my extended family members and acquaintances. I might change my mind later if something better comes along in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and longevity at a decent price, but for now I plan to stick with my beloved incandescent light bulbs for the foreseeable future.
About the author: Gene Halliday is a home-builder who has built and repaired hundreds of homes during his 18 year career. He is also a huge fan of incandescent light bulbs.
Photo courtesy of Zsuzsanna Kilian.