The great bulb debate


NFPA 70b Training - Electrical Maintenance

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
It appears Canadians are not embracing Ottawa's plan to ban incandescent light bulbs by 2012. In fact, nearly all 33 pages of feedback on the initiative, compiled by Environment Canada, is negative - people don't like the idea of being forced to make the change and are worried that mercury will be released into the environment when the new fluorescent bulbs are discarded.

But despite the misgivings of Canadians, using fluorescent bulbs make sense. While more expensive, the new bulbs require 75 per cent less electricity to operate. That saves energy and reduces electricity bills. Generally, lighting accounts for between five and 10 per cent of the total bill.

Based on those arguments, it shouldn't be necessary to ban incandescent bulbs -- in this case by making it illegal to sell them. Clearly, Canadians are tired of governments imposing bans in an effort to mould their behaviour.

Canadians would rather make the choice for themselves, so let them. Governments can encourage consumers to embrace the use of energy-efficient lighting, and they might consider incentives to buy fluorescent bulbs - like foregoing sales taxes. A coupon campaign launched by the Ontario Power Authority, for example, saw more than 2.8 million people try fluorescent bulbs at a discount.

Allowing people to save money by making responsible choices is a better idea than taking away their right to choose.

Related News

BC Hydro electricity demand down 10% amid COVID-19 pandemic

BC Hydro electricity demand decline reflects COVID-19 impacts across British Columbia, with reduced industrial load,…
View more

Group to create Canadian cyber standards for electricity sector IoT devices

Canadian Industrial IoT Cybersecurity Standards aim to unify device security for utilities, smart grids, SCADA,…
View more

London's Newest Electricity Tunnel Goes Live

London Electricity Tunnel strengthens grid modernization with high-voltage cabling from major substations, increasing redundancy, efficiency,…
View more

Maritime Link almost a reality, as first power cable reaches Nova Scotia

Maritime Link Subsea Cable enables HVDC grid interconnection across the Cabot Strait, linking Nova Scotia…
View more

The Impact of AI on Corporate Electricity Bills

AI Energy Consumption strains corporate electricity bills as data centers and HPC workloads run nonstop,…
View more

Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Really Needs Energy

Europe's Nuclear Energy Policy shapes responses to the energy crisis, soaring gas prices, EU taxonomy…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified