EPA Needs 10 Million LEDs Sold Quickly

The EPA is only half way to its goal of selling 20 million Energy Star certified LED bulbs in one year – from Earth Day April 22, 2013 to April 22, 2014.

However, sales of Energy Star certified LED bulbs have been gaining speed since January 2014 when new federal lighting standards took effect to phase out incandescent light bulbs.

According to the EPA, Energy Star certified LEDs use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. One bulb could last over 20 years with typical use. A single bulb can save $135 over its lifetime.

Other facts from EPA:

• Nearly 70 percent of sockets in the US still contain inefficient light bulbs, so the savings opportunity is still huge.
• By replacing 20 million traditional incandescent bulbs with Energy Star certified LEDs, the US would save more than $118 million each year in energy costs.
• According to The Home Depot, current LED usage “hot spots” are in early adopter communities of New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta, San Francisco and Seattle. And where are LEDS lagging? Salt Lake City, Denver, and Austin, to name a few.

An EPA spokesperson said some of the actions that partnering retailers have taken to drive LED sales include offering LED bulbs at lower prices, partnering with utility companies to provide incentives to customers and working on consumer education efforts in-store.

Recently, Philips announced it had worked with The Home Depot to offer its 15-watt LED (75-watt equivalent) for $19.97 and its 19-watt A21 (100-watt equivalent) for $24.97.

Photo: Light bulb comparison via Shutterstock