CONSHOHOCKEN, PA — Incandescent light bulbs are a thing of the past at IKEA, which no longer stocks the bulbs set to be banned throughout the U.S. over the coming years.
Beginning in August, the retailer started phasing incandescents out of its U.S. stores ahead of federal legislation that will ban the sales of different wattages of incandescent bulbs from 2012 to 2014.
IKEA is now claiming to be the first retailer to completely eliminate incandescents from its shelves, and now only sells compact fluorescent light bulbs, LEDs and halogen lamps.
In removing incandescent bulbs from stores, IKEA also commissioned a survey of 1,011 people conducted by Harris Interactive, which found that 61 percent of people are not aware of the U.S. legislation, The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, phasing out the bulbs.
That finding is similar to that by Osram Sylvania's latest Socket Survey, in which only 36 percent of people were aware of the legislation.
Under the legislation, 100-watt incandescent bulbs will be banned starting Jan. 1, 2012, followed by 75-watt bulbs in 2013, then 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs in 2014.
Broken light bulb - CC license by Flickr user Kyle May