The Lights Are Going Out

January 1 saw a mad dash to home improvement stores, drug stores and any business that carries incandescent light bulbs, especially the 60 and 40 watts. The mad dash led to long lines, hoarding hundreds of dollars worth of the now 'illegal' light bulbs. A black market was created, causing people to trade precious metals for this now outlawed commodity.

Ok, maybe not. The Canadian Government has made the decision, at the beginning on 2014, incandescent light bulbs of the 40 and 60 watt variety are no longer to be manufactured in or imported into Canada. Like the 75 and 100 watt before them, the beginning of 2015 will bring the same fate for all other incandescent bulbs – excluding specialty bulbs.

This has not caused any mad dash or hoarding tendencies at the stores, as many Canadians had begun the switch to light-emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs many years ago.

The CREB® HomeSmarts Program promotes greener, more energy efficient homes. REALTOR® members can become accredited through various programs with a Green Designation, providing house hunters with the guidance and resources they need to find an energy efficient home.

Switching to either of the new light bulbs, LED or CFL, is a small step towards a better quality of life. Greener homes have better indoor air quality and more natural light, these homes are more sustainable, have lower operating costs and higher home values, amongst other benefits.

If you are looking for tips to make your home green, improve winter efficiency or to learn more go to CREB® Home Smarts

Tagged: Calgary Real Estate | Green Living | Green Living