The new energy bill signed into law late last year was just a formality for most watching the declining market for incandescent light bulbs over the past year or two.  Though the law only outlaws inefficient (but inexpensive) incandescent bulbs, many consumers have already made the switch over to compact fluorescents (CFLs) for the longevity and energy savings.  Nonetheless, the new law exemplifies the wider thinking that lighting is undergoing a distinct change since Thomas Edison’s original invention.

Efficiency is the new watch word for lighting and the CFLs have evolved from the funny little swirls to options in all shapes and sizes for applications in existing fixtures. Companies such as Sylvania have introduced a new fluorescent that it says mimics the warmer light of an incandescent bulb, which counters the diehard arguments that the CFLs are too blue or too bright for indoor lighting. And environmental concerns about the small levels of mercury in the CFLs present a trade-off.

Many companies are working on another type of light technology Light Emitting Diodes or LEDs. Though they’ve been produced for use as Christmas lights and the famous Times Square New Year’s Eve ball, most are still too pricey for most everyday uses. At the present, no one has developed a viable white LED light, but manufactures are hard at work developing a whiter, cheaper LED for the near future. 

But, considering all the different outlets a single home has for the light bulb, it makes sense to explore and experiment with some of the new options now available.  You’ll certainly save energy and you might discover a better way of lighting in the process. For  more information about energy-efficient lighting click here.