CABINET has approved a ban on the import, export, manufacture, distribution and sale or purchase of incandescent light bulbs, effective April 2023.

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz said the ban is another step in the Government’s quest for the nation to become energy efficient and reduce its carbon footprint.

“With the ban of incandescent light bulbs we, as citizens, should experience a better lighting performance from energy-saving bulbs and also realise savings on our energy bills. We will also see a reduction in our overall Co2 emissions. Collectively, our goal should see us saving as a nation,” Vaz added.

Vaz said that in the coming months, the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology will embark on a more comprehensive public education campaign to inform citizens of the benefits of replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient lighting technologies.

A release said studies done by the Jamaica Public Service and the ministry in 2019 and 2020, respectively, showed that switching from 60W incandescent bulbs to 9W LED bulbs in the home could reduce energy consumption by 85 per cent. The ministry recommends the use of LED bulbs as they are energy-saving and have greater longevity. LED lighting products typically last three to five times longer than contact fluorescent bulbs, or 30 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Furthermore, it is estimated that replacing such bulbs with higher-efficiency lighting, like LEDs, could save Jamaica $1.3 billion per annum.

In 2018 Caricom made the decision to commence banning incandescent lighting. This move was made in an effort to promote efficiency and energy conservation as well as protect consumers from having underperforming light bulbs, while providing tangible energy savings.