Numerous governments have passed laws to phase out manufacturing or importation of incandescent light bulbs for common lighting in favor of more energy-efficient alternate options. The regulations are generally based on effectivity, quite than use of incandescent know-how. Objections to replacement of incandescent lamps for normal lighting embody the higher buying expense of different lamps and their hazardous material content material. To mitigate the fee effects of those considerations the cost of alternative lamps may be diminished by subsidies. Manufacturers developed fluorescent lamps with lowered mercury content material in comparison with original designs, and recycling packages are supposed to stop mercury release. New lamp sorts provide improved starting characteristics, and dimmable varieties can be found. The sunshine from an incandescent supply is comparable in character to that from a Planckian "black body" in spectral distribution, that's, the bulb, as the filament heats up, produces light at wavelengths throughout the seen spectrum. Alternative light sources use phosphors or combos of mono-chromatic LEDs (pink, blue, and inexperienced) to produce "white" light, giving considerably irregular spectral distributions that can create color EcoLight outdoor casts in photography and variations of color matching when compared to incandescent light or daylight.

Halogen lamps are a kind of incandescent lamp with improved efficiency over common incandescent lamps. Although not as power efficient as other alternatives, they are as much as forty % extra efficient than standard incandescent lamps designed for a 2000-hour life. Relying on dimension, voltage, and designed life, small, low-voltage halogen lamps can have 70% larger efficacy than giant, line-voltage lamps. They function at a excessive temperature, which may be a safety hazard in some functions. A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) uses a fluorescent lamp tube which is curved or folded to fit into the area of an incandescent bulb and accommodates a compact digital ballast in the base of the lamp. In comparison with common-service incandescent lamps giving the identical quantity of seen mild, CFLs use one-fifth to 1-third the electric power and EcoLight outdoor may final eight to fifteen instances longer. Newer phosphor EcoLight outdoor formulations have improved the perceived shade, EcoLight outdoor with "gentle white" CFLs judged subjectively related to straightforward incandescent lamps. Compact fluorescent lamps start poorly when chilly, and most varieties cannot be dimmed.

A number of specialist applications are unsuitable for EcoLight outdoor CFLs. Gentle emitting diode (LED) lamps are used for each normal and special-purpose lighting. UV rays that fade coloured materials. LED lamps radiate a lot much less heat than different technologies, and may be both multi-directional or unidirectional, eliminating the need for a mirrored reflector within the bulb or EcoLight fixture. LED lamps can emit saturated coloured mild. Disadvantages embrace spectrum limitations as a consequence of discrete emission colours. Their buy price was a lot larger than other bulbs, EcoLight however has decreased steadily over the years. Botswana has an change program distributing CFL bulbs. Of the members of ECOWAS, Cape Verde, EcoLight Guinea, EcoLight outdoor Mali, Nigeria, Benin and Togo have had trade packages to change incandescent bulbs with energy environment friendly versions. Ghana banned incandescent bulbs in 2008 and Senegal has banned the manufacture and import. Egypt is reported to have a partial ban on incandescent light bulbs. Kenya has a programme to change a number of light bulbs with extra efficient varieties.

Morocco has a programme to alternate a number of gentle bulbs with extra efficient sorts. Rwanda has an exchange program, distributing CFL bulbs. Tanzania has an exchange program to exchange incandescent bulbs. Tunisia is reported to have a partial ban on incandescent gentle bulbs. Since January 2016, the importation of incandescent gentle bulbs has been banned in Zambia. Zimbabwe has banned incandescent mild bulbs. Bahrain has banned incandescent light bulbs. Bangladesh has an change program. Another supply, however, has indicated that by 1 October 2016, all incandescent light bulbs might be banned. In line with this supply, 1 November 2011 to 30 September 2012 will probably be a transitional interval and as of 1 October 2012, imports and EcoLight products gross sales of bizarre incandescent bulbs of a hundred watts or extra might be prohibited. The primary phase will be adopted by a ban on 60-watt-and-larger incandescent mild bulbs starting in October 2014. By October 2016, all incandescent mild bulbs can be banned in China.

Whereas not an entire ban, the UJALA plan in India sought to change 770 million incandescent mild bulbs with LED bulbs by 2019. This was anticipated to scale back power consumption by over 100 billion kWh annually and cut back annual electricity bills by ₹400 billion (US$4.7 billion). As of April 2017, 229 million LED bulbs had been distributed throughout the country. The states of Tamil Nadu, LED bulbs for home Kerala and Karnataka in India have banned the use of incandescent bulbs in government departments, various boards, cooperative establishments, native bodies, and establishments running on authorities assist. As of 1 August 2017, Kuwait has banned the import of incandescent light bulbs, including halogen bulbs. It was reported in 2012 that Malaysia would ban production, import and sales incandescent bulbs by 2014 as a part of efforts to avoid wasting energy and to help reduce greenhouse gasoline emissions. Nepal has banned incandescent gentle bulbs. North Korea reportedly made LED bulbs obligatory in 2014 to alleviate its power crisis. The Philippines was amongst the first Asian nations to phase-out incandescent mild bulbs.