You may soon have an easier time deciding what light bulbs to buy. Starting next year the Federal Trade Commission will require new labels to help you choose between all the different bulbs on the market.
Most people are pretty focused on buying LED lights. However these new labels should help you determine which of those really save you the most money. They will include the estimated yearly energy cost and emphasize the bulbs brightness as measured in lumens instead of watts.
That means don't get too used to seeing wattage. The FTC found, "that reliance on watt measurements alone makes it difficult for consumers to compare traditional incandescent bulbs to more efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescents. A compact fluorescent bulb may be able to produce the same amount of brightness as a traditional incandescent bulb, while using significantly less energy, or watts."
The change is part of the federal plan to phase out incandescent bulbs over the next few years.
Here’s a look at the new label.
Under the new rule, the back of each package of light bulbs will have a “Lighting Facts” label modeled after the “Nutrition Facts” label that is currently on food packages. The Lighting Facts label will provide information about:
- brightness;
- energy cost;
- the bulb’s life expectancy;
- light appearance (for example, if the bulb provides “warm” or “cool” light);
- wattage (the amount of energy the bulb uses); and
- whether the bulb contains mercury.
