Written By Kassie the ecoPharmacist. On Feb 10. In Environment

California has banned the sale of standard light bulbs after current stocks are exhausted. Yay! California was allowed to jump the gun on next year’s nationwide phase-out of the standard incandescent bulb. Stores in CA can sell their stock of the 100-watt lights, but after that, they can sell only more energy-efficient bulbs equivalent to 100 watts.

The new incandescents under federal efficiency standards, consume only 72 watts but burn just as brightly and just as long as descendants of those invented 132 years ago by Thomas Edison. The changeover should shave $35.6 million off consumers’ electric bills this year alone, the California Energy Commission estimated. More savings should follow as CA gets rid of the 75-watt bulb next year, the 60-watt bulb in 2013 and the 40-watt bulb in 2014. Each replacement must use about a third less energy and last at least 1,000 hours.

At least one major retailer, Ikea, is going further to push its customers toward low-wattage lighting. Last month, the Swedish company said it was no longer stocking or selling any incandescent bulbs, including the new ones. The chain said it would only stock compact fluorescent, halogen and other nonincandescent bulbs.