re: Gas Stoves. Now Ceiling Fans?

quote:

---

We were discussing the exact thing at work and came to the same conclusion, LED lights are much better and the cost isn’t higher than the old bulbs.

But why was the government involved?

LEDs should have won out in a free market because the price is right now and they are better in every way.

---

The government got involved in order to provide an incentive to bulb manufacturers to build new plants or install new equipment to make the new types of efficient bulbs.

Back when the legislation was passed and signed by W. Bush it put in a multi-year delay for implementation. (I think it was originally a 3 or 4 year time before the old bulbs were not allowed to be sold but the deadline got pushed back more than once.)

At the time of the legislation the new bulbs were double the price of the old tungsten bulbs. Only the most fanatical treehuggers would spring for a bulb that cost double.

So sales were low for the new bulbs and would remain low until companies started making the new bulbs in volume and competition started doing what it always does....drive prices down.

The legislation sped up the process of creating incentives for manufacturers to start producing the new LED bulbs in a high enough volume to drive prices down. And it worked.