The average household’s energy costs would be cut by 7% or $85 every year.

Making it’s way through the U.S. Congress is a bill that would block certain provisions from a 2007 energy law signed by George W. Bush that “effectively bans the 100-watt incandescent bulb next year and other versions subsequently”. The law simply mandates that bulbs need to be 30% more energy efficient, an improvement that could have great economic and environmental benefits.

According to the NRDC, the average household’s energy costs would be cut by 7% or $85 every year when the standards are fully in place, which would save consumers $12.5 billion by 2020, money that can be spent on more important things. And the beauty is that these savings are recurring. Once you switch to more efficient lighting, you save year after year after year…

Supporters say the energy law, signed by Republican President George W. Bush, will reduce air pollution by eliminating the need for 33 power plants while saving homes and businesses money. “Clearly, consumers, the economy and the environment will suffer if these standards are repealed,” Jim Presswood, federal energy policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement.

Check out the NRDC numbers here (pdf).

And as John said, even without legislation, market forces are pushing for more efficiency, so the venerable incandescent bulb is on its way out one way or the other… The question is, would it be better to speed up that transition?

Photo credit: Anton Fomkin/Flickr

Via Treehugger