Incandescent light bulb ban starts Jan.1

The age of theincandescent bulb will fade to black starting on Wednesday,as federal rules aimed at improving efficiency comeinto effect New Year's Day.

• FAQ:Incandescent light bulb ban

The 75-watt and 100-watt incandescent bulbs have been phased out and starting Jan. 1light bulb manufacturers can no longer supply the Canadian market with thebulbs.

Instead, people will have to buy compact fluorescent or LED lights.

Retailers like Pierre Gascon at HD Supply in Burnside, N.S., will still be able to sell the incandescent bulbs left on the shelf.

If we still have stock, he said.

After that, it's lights out.

The federal government is banning the old bulbs because they are inefficient. Most of the electricity comes out of the bulb as heat, rather than light.

Gascon said he believes homeowners are already a few years ahead.

"Compact fluorescents and LEDs have taken over, basically, he said.

Alternative light

While the soon-to-be-discontinued incandescent bulbs run at60 cents apiece, halogen bulbs cost more than three times that. Thecurly compact fluorescent lights will cost you from $2.50 to $4 and not everyone appreciates their glow, or the small amount of mercury that exists inside.

The long-lasting LEDs are $20 per bulb, a price homeowner Jeffrey Lansing hopes will change.

"Maybe by getting rid of the incandescent light bulbs in stores it'll make the LEDs more affordable so that would be great, he said.

There areexemptions for lights that can't be replaced with alternatives,including oven and refrigerator lights.

The 40-watt and 60-watt incandescent bulbs will be phased out after Dec. 31, 2014.