A rule change published by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2009 effectively dealt a death-blow to several versions of fluorescent lights commonly in use across the United States. The purpose of this rule is to slowly phase out less efficient lighting starting July 14, 2012. After this date, manufacturers will be prohibited from producing these less efficient lamps, effectively making the fixtures obsolete since bulbs will no longer be available for them.

While manufacturers will be prohibited from making these bulbs after the 2012 deadline, suppliers can still sell them after the effective date until their inventories are exhausted. However, it’s expected that many people will start to hoard these older style lamps, so the best course of action is to start planning now to upgrade any older lighting fixtures before the cutoff date. This will ensure that there won’t be problems of shortages of older style lamps or replacement energy-efficient fixtures, as the entire country will be upgrading their lights at the same time!

The best course of action is to call your electrician early – he or she can assess your needs and suggest the best replacement fixture for your application. In almost every case, this changeover will result in brighter lighting, and a reduction in energy usage for the new fixtures. This means that any outlay of funds now will be recouped in energy savings over the life of the fixture.