Thursday, December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – Consumer groups are calling on Congressional lawmakers to oppose current efforts to defund or repeal the bipartisan standards that would require increased energy efficiency in light bulbs. As lawmakers piece together the final appropriations measure of the year, the House Consolidated Appropriations Act, public interest groups are urging policymakers to reject the current rider to the bill that would prohibit the Department of Energy from implementing or enforcing these money-saving energy efficiency standards.
Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumer Law Center, Public Citizen, and the National Consumers League sent a letter to both Senate and House members today outlining the consumer benefits that would be lost if these standards were abandoned.
“Lighting accounts for 10-15% of household electricity use, and is one of the cheapest efficiency upgrades available to consumers. Repealing lighting standards would undermine consumer savings, drive up costs for efficient lighting, and increase demand on the power grid, which increases the cost of electricity,” the groups write in the letter.
The new lighting standards, passed in 2007 and signed in to law by President Bush, do not ban incandescent bulbs. Rather, these standards are technology-neutral, and manufacturers have already developed more efficient incandescent bulbs that are available and on the market today. Efficient options that meet the new standard include a wide variety of technologies and high quality bulbs, many of which are dimmable, can withstand cold, are long-lasting, and come in a range of intensity and colors.
For a copy of the letter for more information on how these standards can benefit consumers and save them money, contact David Butler or Kara Kelber.
Contact: David Butler or Kara Kelber, 202-462-6262