If you haven’t already heard,
incandescent light bulbs will be phased out by 2012. Consumers will have to purchase
light bulbs that are 25 to 30 percent more efficient than the old model. This
will include compact fluorescent lights or light emitting diode bulbs.
Whichever bulbs end up being the better choice is yet to be seen, but what is
being seen is some backlash.
Some consumers are angry about
the change saying that they might start stockpiling incandescent lights before
they are no longer available. The main reason is because incandescent lights
are less expensive than current energy-saving bulbs.
On the
flip side, those in favor of the incandescent ban say consumers will save money
in the long run, reaping financial benefits with their electricity
bill.
Does any of this sound
familiar?
The same uproar occurred when the government
raised the minimum efficiency on air conditioners from 10 to 13. Not only were
some contractors incensed, but their customers had a very difficult time understanding
why they were being forced to pay more when they needed a new system
installed.
This new light bulb debate is just one more
example of how our country’s energy needs, and priorities, are going to
continually change. As humans, we don’t like change. And let’s face it, the
shape of the incandescent bulb is iconic. In fact, the design hasn’t changed
since Edison invented it. The new
energy-efficient bulbs with their squiggly design just looks strange to some
people. As Stephen Colbert said on a recent episode of the Colbert Report, the compact
fluorescent lights look like a pig tail. Who wants to install a pig
tail?
But we’ve been down this road before. Change is
inevitable…and good. The HVAC industry will (hopefully) continue to change for
the better. We might miss the old look of our products, but we have to remember
that we’re going to get an energy savings that benefits our pocket book and the
energy grid.