Incandescent Light Ban: What About Christmas Lights In Illinois?

It took over 15 years to get it done, but on August 1st of this year the powers-that-be in Washington, DC finally pushed through a ban on the sale of incandescent light bulbs here in Illinois and throughout the entire country.

Some people were a little needlessly freaked out and worried that they would somehow get in trouble for even using incandescent bulbs after August 1st, but the ban didn't say anything about using the bulbs you already had, just that you couldn't buy new incandescent bulbs any longer to replace your old ones.

The reason given for the overall ban was to get rid of less-efficient bulbs and replace them with energy-efficient ones. The new federal rules call for bulbs to produce a minimum 45 lumens per watt, and since incandescent bulbs only produce about 15 lumens per watt, regulations said they had to go.

Which Brings Us To The Burning Question Of Whether Or Not Our Incandescent Christmas Light Bulbs Have Now Been Made Illegal In Illinois And Throughout The Entire Country

In spite of some incorrect information being shared across the internet and social media, you don't have anything at all to worry about if you're still using incandescent Christmas lighting to decorate for the holidays (or any other time, if you're someone who's in no hurry to take them down). As a matter of fact, you can still buy incandescent Christmas lights in stores or online.

Why? Because incandescent Christmas lights are not part of the ban that went into effect on August 1st, 2023.

Christmas-Light-Source.com:

Good news for Christmas lights lovers: the ban does not apply to all incandescent light bulbs. For example, glass Christmas bulbs are not included in the ban, as they are not considered general-use lamps (bulbs). "General Use Lamps" are bulbs made to go in light fixtures.

While the phase-out of certain wattages of incandescent bulbs has taken place, it is essential to note that not all incandescent bulbs have been completely banned. Specialty incandescent bulbs, such as those used in ovens, refrigerators, and other specific applications, are still permitted for sale. Christmas lights fall under these lower wattage guidelines so, for now, incandescent bulbs are still available to light rooflines and Christmas trees.

Here Are Some Of The Other Bulbs That Are Not Covered By The Ban

These are the types of lighting that are unaffected by the new rules that started August 1st, according to the Department of Energy:

Appliance lamps
Black light lamps
Bug lamps
Colored lamps
General service fluorescent lamps
High intensity discharge lamps
Infrared lamps
Left-hand thread lamps
Marine lamps
Plant lights
Flood lights
Reflector lamps
Showcase lamps
Traffic signals
Other specialty lights, including R20 short lamps and silver bowl lamps