The government has affected many different aspects of home construction, some good, like primary building codes that keep home safer and set standards for quality construction. Other things, like regulating low-flow toilets in 1994, have been more… problematic. Now, consumers are facing an essential “ban” on all residential incandescent lights that is slated to start next year for 100 watt bulbs. So how is this a “ban”? In December 2007 the federal government enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This act mandates that all household and commercial light bulbs producing between 310 and 2600 lumens be 30% more energy efficient then 2007-era incandescents by 2012-2014. This would put them in step with halogen technology. The efficiency standards starts with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and works its way down to 40-watt bulbs in January 2014.