The end of the traditional light bulb

The new regulations announced this week are part of the ministry’s national energy efficiency plan which aims to reduce electricity use by 20 percent by 2020.

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau (Israel Beiteinu) has submitted new regulations forbidding the import or sale of traditional light bulbs and halogen bulbs above 60W. Certain fluorescent bulbs will also have to meet new efficiency standards.
Once the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee approves the new regulations, the import and sale of bulbs will be outlawed within four months. Traditional light bulbs and especially halogens are far more energy inefficient than the new CFL or LED bulbs.
Europe has already outlawed traditional light bulbs.
The new regulations announced this week are part of the ministry’s national energy efficiency plan which aims to reduce electricity use by 20 percent by 2020.
One of the ministry’s main tools to achieve that goal are regulations like these. Regulations which forbid the import of electricity guzzling appliances and mandate the amount of electricity an appliance on standby can use can achieve over half the 20% goal by themselves, ministry officials have said.
The idea is first to reduce as much as possible without forcing the public to take any action of its own.