It may get easier the next time you’re shopping around for new light bulbs. The Federal Trade Commission proposed updating labeling requirements for light bulbs this week. New light bulbs will now have a label similar to labels found on food products that display key performance-related information using a consistent format.
Currently, most light bulb packages need to display the light output (measured in lumens), energy use (measured in watts), and bulb life (measured in hours). The package must also have this instruction: “To save energy costs, find the bulbs with the light output you need, and then choose the one with the lowest watts.” This caused confusion because from a consumer focus group research conducted by the FTC, a number of participants said they thought brightness was measured in watts, not lumens.
The new labels would require manufacturers to note the light output, energy use and bulb life, but also the color appearance (using a scale that ranges from cool to warm); the yearly cost of using the bulbs (given three hours a day of use and a standard electricity rate); and mercury content and disposal information for compact fluorescents.
The Natural Resources Defense Council suggested that the FTC should include a one-to-five star system for rating efficiency to make it even easier for consumers to differentiate between products. The FTC said the rating system did not perform better than energy cost in helping consumers answer energy-related questions. It also confused consumers because they thought the rating system measured bulb quality.
You can read more about the light bulb label change on the New York Times and if you have any suggestions for what should be on the label, the FTC will be accepting comments on the proposed labeling requirements until December 28.
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