An incandescent light bulb, next to an LED bulb. | Photo by The Verge
When you think of a incandescent light bulb, you probably imagine this: a simple droplet of water crafted from opaque white glass, with a giant screw on the bottom, which consumes 40, 60, 75, 100, maybe 150 watts of power to light up a chunk of your home.
As of August 2023, those “normal” lightbulbs are really, truly banned from sale in the United States. You can still install and use those bulbs, but you won’t find them on shelves legally. You’ll find far more efficient LED or fluorescent bulbs instead.
This isn’t like back in 2014 when publications jumped the gun on the light bulb’s obituary — manufacturers and retailers have been on notice for a full year (pdf), and August 2023 is the month the Department of Energy will begin fully…