January 1, Latest Government Ban Leaves Americans in the Dark

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President Joe Biden has implemented a plan to ban incandescent light bulbs from consumer purchase starting on August 1, 2023. This is a reversal of a Trump administration policy that allowed Americans to choose what kinds of light bulbs they wanted to buy.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said last year that “The lighting industry is already embracing more energy-efficient products, and this measure will accelerate progress to deliver the best products to American consumers and build a better and brighter future.”

The Biden administration’s ban on halogen bulbs is part of their larger climate change policy, per Fox News. This mandate will leave consumers with no choice but to purchase more LED lamps or light-emitting diode lamps, which are considered more energy-efficient.

According to the Department of Energy’s statistics, 47% of American households already predominantly use LED bulbs and have increased their usage since 2015. 26% reported they had no main type of bulb in their home. However, 15% of households reported they used mostly halogens or incandescents and 12% said compact fluorescent (CFL), which were also banned.

According to the same survey information, 54% of households with incomes over $100,000 already use LED bulbs, while only 30% of households with incomes under $20,000 use them. This indicates that LED bulbs are primarily favored by wealthier Americans who can afford the higher costs.

A free market consumer group wrote to the DOE last year and said, “We believe that further regulatory interference in the marketplace is unwarranted given that more energy-efficient lighting choices, namely light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, are already available for those consumers who prefer them over incandescent bulbs.”

“While LEDs are more efficient and generally longer-lasting than incandescent bulbs, they currently cost more than incandescent bulbs and are inferior for certain functions such as dimming,” they added.

The bottom line

This ban on incandescent light bulbs is just another example of the Biden administration’s overreach and intrusion into the free market.

Consumers should be able to choose which type of light bulb they want to purchase based on their individual needs and preferences. Instead, the government is forcing consumers to purchase more expensive LED bulbs, which could be a burden for lower-income families.

The government should focus on educating consumers about the benefits of LED bulbs rather than forcing them to purchase them.

Source: The Post Millennial