Despite the best efforts of the federal government and energy-saving advocates to get rid of incandescent light bulbs, British Columbians apparently aren’t ready to give up their warm glow.
That’s the conclusion of a new survey from BC Hydro, which found that despite being inefficient, incandescent bulbs remain the most widely-used type of residential lighting across the province.
The federal government began phasing out incandescent bulbs in 2011, with a ban on 40- to 60-watt bulbs implemented in 2014. BC Hydro says most retailers have stopped carrying the bulbs since then.
But while LED adoption is on the rise, the Crown corporation said nearly three-quarters of British Columbians still have at least one of the old-style bulbs lighting up their homes.
What’s more, the survey found nearly half (17) of the 40 bulbs found in an average family home are incandescent.
WATCH: LED vs. incandescent bulbs
“Most people just have these incandescent bulbs in their home and have had them for quite a while. And we found that many people didn’t go and replace these bulbs with LEDs because they had the misconception that LEDs are really expensive,” said BC Hydro spokesperson Susie Rieder.
“But actually, since about 2008, the cost of the most common type of LED bulbs has dropped as much as 90 per cent.”
In the wake of the survey, BC Hydro is offering a discount on modern LED lights in an effort to save energy.
“We’re offering 15 per cent off the purchase of select Energy Star LED bulbs at retailers across the province. And we’re hoping that this is going to help customers make the switch from incandescents,” Rieder added.
According to BC Hydro, LED bulbs use 75 per cent less energy than old-style incandescent bulbs, and have a lifespan of up to 25 years. It estimates switching a home over to the modern bulbs can save customers about $1,000 over a decade.
If you do decide to swap out your old bulbs, you can find a location to recycle them here.