Federal ban on certain light bulbs coming soon

From Tuesday, Aug. 1, retailers will be banned from selling incandescent light bulbs in the United States, with regulators saying the move toward light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs will save consumers an estimated $3 billion annually on utility bills and will cut carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next 30 years.

Under the new rules, incandescent and similar halogen light bulbs will be prohibited in favor of LED alternatives.

According to the most recent Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 47% of U.S. households use mostly or only LEDs.

Only 39% of households with incomes of $20,000 or less annually currently use LEDs.