The 100-watt incandescent bulb is soon to be a thing of the past. Starting on January 1, 2012, a new federal law goes into effect that will effectively eliminate the 100-watt bulb we all know and love. The design, which is basically the same from when it was first designed by Edison, produces more heat than light and thus, the government has decided it is wasteful and that the traditional measure of lightbulb effectiveness isn’t exactly right. Thus, the 100-watt bulb will be a thing of the past, to be replaced by an entirely new type of bulb with a new label.
Watt bulbs, which measured light by electricity used, didn’t accurately reflect how lights actually brighten. Out with the watt, in with the lumen, which is a measure of actual light strength rather than electricity used. A traditional 100-watt bulb yields about 1600 lumens. The new bulbs, which will probably be CFLs, LEDs, or mercury-free halogen incandescent bulbs depending on the price, will provide the same amount of light and the same yellowish tint of light we’re all used to, but at a slightly higher starting price.
That higher starting price will make up for itself in the form of decreased electricity use. That 100-watt bulb yielding 1600 lumens will actually consume only about 72 watts of power at maximum, with CFLs and LEDs consuming far less than their traditional peers.
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