Big Light Bulb Phase-Out Begins Jan. 1

Production ends for 60W and 40W incandescent bulbs Wednesday
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 27, 2013 7:53 AM CST
Big Light Bulb Phase-Out Begins Jan. 1
Flames heat glass light bulbs before stems are attached at American Light Bulb Manufacturing Inc. in Mullins, SC, March 28, 2011. South Carolina has sought an exemption from the ban on such bulbs.   (AP Photo/Willis Glassgow)

Next Wednesday—Jan. 1—production will officially end on incandescent light bulbs, and according to a new survey, this likely comes as news to most of you. While 64% of Americans are aware that incandescents are being phased out, only 4 in 10 know that the bell tolls for the last two varieties, 40- and 60-watt bulbs, in 2014, according to the latest Sylvania Socket Survey. The 100W and 75W varieties were phased out in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

But the survey also found that most Americans won't be in mourning; 59% said they were "excited" about the phase out, which will see Americans switching to more efficient bulbs. Thirty percent, however, say they intend to stock up on incandescents while they can: Though production ends Wednesday, the supply isn't expected to run out until mid-2014. They may have one other option, however: a New Jersey company is exploiting a loophole in the law that allows the production of "rough service" incandescent bulbs, which are vibration-resistant and typically used in things like cars, the Blaze reports. The company, Newcandescent, hopes to sell these rough service bulbs to consumers. (More incandescent bulbs stories.)

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