Ban on Inefficient Light Bulbs

April 25, 2007

Electric lighting is an essential part of our daily lives, but it is also one of the most energy-intensive. More than 10 percent of the energy we consume in our homes is used to provide light, most of it produced by the familiar, but very inefficient, incandescent light bulb. The incandescent bulb was developed in the 19^th century, and the technology behind it has changed very little over the past 100 years.

Today, a number of alternative lighting technologies exist that offer excellent performance while consuming far less energy. By switching to these new lighting technologies, Canadians can reduce their energy costs and achieve a substantial reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases and other harmful substances.

Recognizing these benefits, Canada's New Government has committed to setting performance standards for all lighting that would phase out the use of inefficient light bulbs in common applications by 2012.

Canada is proposing an approach that involves stakeholders such as provincial and territorial governments, electric utilities, manufacturers and distributors that will result in the definition of a standard by the end of 2007, including timelines so that low-efficiency lighting would be eliminated by 2012. Because the lighting market is global in scope and other jurisdictions are contemplating similar measures, Canada's objective is to ensure that efforts are harmonized with those of our trading partners.

The technology to achieve this goal already exists, and more innovations are on the horizon. Already-available replacements for incandescent bulbs include compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), high-efficiency halogen bulbs, light-emitting diodes (LED) lights and others that produce the same amount of light while consuming less energy. ENERGYSTAR®-qualified compact fluorescent bulbs, for example, use only about one-quarter as much electricity as a conventional light bulb to produce the same amount of light. Although they do cost a bit more, CFLs can last up to ten times longer than an incandescent bulb, paying for themselves many times over in energy savings and convenience.

It has been estimated that, if every Canadian replaced just one of the most used incandescent light bulbs in their home with an ENERGYSTAR®-qualified compact fluorescent bulb, the energy savings would amount to more than $73 million, and emissions of greenhouse gases would be reduced by 400,000 tonnes.

By banning inefficient light bulbs, consumers will have confidence that the lighting they choose meets a minimum requirement for efficiency. The new standards will also provide certainty for manufacturers and support those who invest in the development of innovative new products to meet regulatory and consumer demand for efficient, effective a2007-09-05iency standards will be complemented by new regulations for light bulb packaging that will make shopping for the best and most efficient lighting even easier. The new packaging standards will allow Canadians to shop for bulbs according to how much light they produce, as well as how much energy they consume, making it easier to choose the right bulb and the most efficient bulb for specific uses.

Through the Energy Efficiency Act, the Government of Canada has regulated the efficiency of a number of lighting products, including linear fluorescents, incandescent reflector lamps, exit signs and others, for more than a decade. This new standard broadens the regulations to include the most common general-area lighting products sold in Canada.

The ban on inefficient light bulbs and the new labelling standards for bulbs build on the measures included in the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda, under which the government will set energy-efficiency standards and labelling requirements for an increased number of energy-using products. Achieving the same comfort and convenience for less energy is one of the most sensible and effective ways of reducing emissions and saving money.

Like the ecoENERGY Retrofit Initiative that is helping Canadians increase the energy efficiency of their homes, and like the ecoAUTO Rebate program that is helping them purchase more efficient vehicles, the introduction of efficiency standards for lighting sold in Canada is one more way Canada's New Government is helping Canadians use less and live better — and deliver real results on climate change and clean air.