This household standard can’t be sold in New Jersey anymore

Are you shining a restricted item right in the government's face?

It didn't happen with much fanfare, so you may be unaware that a product you've likely been using for decades can no longer be sold by retailers.

Don't worry — you won't get in trouble for displaying it inside or outside your home. But manufacturers and retailers that aren't following the rules would be forced to pay up.

As of August of this year, the run-of-the-mill light bulb can not be sold in the United States, courtesy of rules finalized by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2022.

Manufacturers have been told to stop producing incandescent light bulbs that are used around the home. If everyone's following the rules, you'll only find LED or fluorescent bulbs on shelves.

The new standard requires bulbs to emit at least 45 lumens per watt — the average for LED bulbs is 75, but it's lower than 20 for incandescent bulbs.

LED bulbs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but they last much longer and, according to the feds, should save Americans nearly $3 billion yearly.

There are exceptions to the new standard, such as bulbs for appliances and bug lamps.

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