Stock up on lightbulbs now – or call an electrician.
Starting January 1, a new state law will prohibit the sale of specific mercury-containing fluorescent lightbulbs in Vermont, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation said.
Restrictions include the sale of general purpose, indoor/outdoor, residential, and business mercury-containing four-foot linear, compact fluorescent, and twist-based fluorescent lightbulbs. Twist-based (GU-24) Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) are also restricted from sale.
If your home or business currently uses these fluorescent bulbs, you will not be able to buy more after January 1. If your business sells these bulbs online or in a store, you will not be able to do so next year.
“Efficiency Vermont is offering rebates to help residents and businesses replace fluorescent bulbs with LEDs,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder. “Switching to LEDs is better for both human health and the environment. LEDs do not contain mercury and are more energy efficient than fluorescent bulbs.”
The SMARTLIGHT program will expire at the end of 2023. However, Efficiency Vermont will still offer custom rebates for retrofits from fluorescent to LEDs through 2024. To learn more, visit Efficiency Vermont online, call 888-921-5990, email info@efficiencyvermont.com, or submit an online contact form.
The sale of any other mercury-containing four-foot bulbs, such as specialty lighting (ultraviolet, germicidal, purifier/sanitizer, etc.) is not included in the new restrictions.
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Categories: Energy
Obama bulbs got the mercury in my brain!!! WARNING!!! This product contains chemicals known by the state of California, to cause people to vote for politicians and believe what their TV tells them.
Sounds more like exposure to politics and mass media has rotted your brain
Wait a minute, were we not told some years ago that incandescent bulbs were “bad” and we should (must) replace them with compact fluorescents? I raised questions then about the relative hazards of mercury versus carbon dioxide & heat. Do our elected officials know anything, or do they just jump from one political fad to the next?
Good memory!
You got it. That’s what my comment is referencing. Curly fry bulbs, curly fry brains. China uses coal power with very dirty coal containing lots of mercury to produce all our stuff. U.S. coal power is mostly mercury free and one of the cleanest in the world. They did testing with mercury containing light bulbs, and if you break them in something like a trash bin, the mercury gas levels in the bin are much higher than the “safe” standard. There is no safe level of mercury exposure. They put it in vaccines though Thimerosal. I wonder why mental disorders are up so much. It’s funny how all the vaccine studies don’t use the same product that you get from your doctor, but don’t worry it’s “the same”. I almost died from vaccines twice as a child and probably have curly fry brain, so don’t believe anything I say.
do i need to hire an electrician to change a lightbulb////
no, but you need new lighting fixtures if you can’t get replacement bulbs
Great! Not only will 4′ fluorescent bulbs not be available but now we’ll also have to get rid of the old fixtures…in the landfill. I guess that’s better than mercury.
And standard dimmer switches don’t work with dimmable LED bulbs.
this looks like a you must spend more money///who is making money on this deal///
Sales Tax from you. And various payroll taxes from your electrician. If it ain’t broke, fix it anyway.
Merry X-mas.
Drives to NH, smuggles bulbs back across the border along with their cheap liquor and TSP cleaner.Another bonus for NH retailers.
What a shame that mercury-containing fluorescent lightbulbs will no longer be available in Vermont. Let’s bring back asbestos insulation, lead-based paint, and a round of PCB laden-drinking water for everyone.
I outfitted my own house with LEDs everywhere vs. the CFL’s that were in most light fixtures, because when I bought the place half the CFLs were gone and at $7 a piece it was already going to cost me a few lights worth. The power savings was noticable because I did it almost all at once so I was able to see a ~$10 drop a month. That in turn was worth $120 a year, or two cheap light fixtures from home Depot that had a 10-year warranty. Replaced eight ceiling painted lights and used $100 package of LED replacement bulbs. For me the payoff was 5 years before I had saved any money.
So economically it appeared to be worth it but I really just never like the light that came off of those. At first it was great, but after a while you realize really want an incandescent in the most lived in parts of the house like the living room and kitchen, maybe a single bedroom light. It just bothers your eyes after a while if that’s all you use.
So to have the state come in and say that you must use this kind of light. It’s kind of like them telling you you’re required to have a jab in your arm, but in this case, it’s pain in your eyes.
LEDs cause damage to the retina. A general search will bring up lots of info on this.
New Hampshire got plenty of fluorescent lightbulbs and 30 round magazines.
what’s to like here anymore, honestly, everyday it’s something more you have to do or is taken away from you? State of Vermont, hands off!
I love living in the dark anyway…..
Could this have Margaret Cheney Welch‘s paw marks on it?
The $64,000 question here is: will Sarah George prosecute anyone caught operating a fluorescent bulb smuggling/trafficking operation in Chittenden County???
Many years ago when the Gubment started pushing these lousy, headache inducing LED lights, I saw the writing on the wall and stocked up (ok hoarded) a massive supply of incandescents that will last me for the rest of my life.
Ah….. the warm glow of a classic GE Soft White….