NE Philly Merchant Prepares For Expanding U.S. Ban on Incandescent Bulbs
By Michelle Durham
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With the federal government further tightening controls on incandescent light bulbs as of January 1st, some area retailers are working to help their customers ease the transition.
The manufacture of 75-watt and 100-watt incandescent bulbs was banned at the beginning of 2013, and next month the same fate will befall the 60-watt and 40-watt versions.
In Northeast Philadelphia, one hardware store owner says he is stockpiled to handle customers who aren't quite ready to part with the older, energy-gobbling bulbs.
S&H Hardware has been a fixture at Castor and Unruh Avenues for years. Owner Stu Stern (the "S" in S&H) says he has plenty of incandescent bulbs on hand.
"It's not funny," he tells KYW Newsradio. "They come in and they are all upset, because most people like the incandescent bulb light. It's not as dim as a CFL compact flourescent."
So, Stern has a stockpile of incandescent bulbs for customers.
"We are allowed to sell what we have in inventory," he explains. "They just can't be manufactured."
One S&H customer, Joe, said he doesn't like the new bulbs:
"You can't tell colors. If you are eating candy or something, you can't tell the difference between the reds and the pinks."
Stern admits that incandescent bulbs are not as energy-efficient as the new ones, but says he has plenty on hand for people like Joe who prefer them.
