Former President George Bush signed, in 2007, the federal Energy Independence and Security Act that set new energy efficiency standards, reducing our dependence on foreign oil. One provision was phasing out the traditional incandescent light bulb, invented in the early 1800s.
The goals of the act were to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years and included new fuel economy standards. In 2007, the U.S. was facing record gas prices at $3.10 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Many of the  electrical generating plants in this country are coal fired or use natural gas.
Phasing out incandescent bulbs is a good thing.
The incandescent bulbs routinely last only a few months and have a disturbing tendency for the cap to break off in the socket. It is a given that the bulb shatters if dropped on the floor.
While enforcement of the Act has been put been delayed, the compact fluorescent bulbs are a great choice. It uses substantially less energy, last longer, and is more durable. Incandescent also produces significantly more heat, causing your home to be hotter.
After years of incandescent bulbs, I am a great fan of compact fluorescent. The first bulb I bought was in 1992. It was about $20, a lot of money in those days. It was ugly, but it went in the basement so I could save on electricity and go green. It still works.
Now,  CFLs come in all shapes and sizes and generally cost twice what an incandescent costs.
Every bulb in my house is CFL. My utility bills went down $15 a month.
The best part is that I rarely have to change a light bulb. I can go years without having to touch them. CFLs usually have a rated lifespan of 6,000 to 15,000 hours, whereas incandescent bulbs are usually manufactured to have a lifespan of 750 hours or 1,000 hours.
I used to have to constantly buy incandescent, risk my life hanging over ladders and stairways, and face the chance I’d have to stick a potato in a bulbless socket because the glass broke off, leaving the cap.
I have never broken a CFL. I’ve dropped them as often as I did the incandescent.
People complain that they would loose the nice mellow yellow color of the incandescent.
Once those bulbs are under a lamp shade, there is no noticeable difference.
Maybe it’s the name that’s the problem. Maybe they could call them cost saving bulbs, and it wouldn’t be an issue of color and people  wrongly comparing them to the commercial fluorescent bulbs. Or, maybe calling them the primo bulb would work.
By this change, I am doing a good thing for myself and the environment. I spend less time buying bulbs, installing bulbs, cleaning up messes and save more on utilities.
I am anxious to try the new LEDS and other bulbs coming out.
Sometimes, there is a better light bulb.

Karen La Pierre