Energy-saving bulbs will become law

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While making energy-efficient improvements to the home may qualify homeowners for tax credits, there is a way to cut energy costs on a smaller scale that will eventually be mandatory.

According to materials provided by Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, light bulbs must become more efficient because of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed by President George W. Bush in December 2007.

The bill requires all light bulbs use 30 percent less energy than today's incandescent bulbs by certain deadlines. The phase-out will start with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014. By 2020, a Tier 2 would go into effect, requiring all bulbs to be at least 70 percent more efficient (effectively equal to today's CFLs).


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