Seriously!? The Feds Just Banned this Classic Christmas Decoration in Arizona?

• A federal ban on a common household item is affecting holiday decorating.
• Higher demand and increased manufacturing costs have raised prices on this holiday staple.
• Will savings outweigh the initial cost?

Decorating for the Holiday Season

As you drag out your holiday decorations this year, I hope everything is in good working order. You may not want to replace certain items this year.

With inflation and prices skyrocketing, you could be in for sticker shock no matter what you have to purchase this year. But there's one item that might give you pause if you need replacements this year.

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A Common Household Item Gets the Axe in Arizona

This common household item has been in homes and businesses across America and the world for over a hundred years. Last August, the federal government instituted a ban on incandescent lightbulbs, and it's had a ripple effect on our holiday celebration.

NostalgicBulbs.com says that these light bulbs have been in our homes for more than a century. In 1880, Thomas Edison developed the first commercially sustainable incandescent light bulb. As it gained popularity, it replaced other, less efficient forms of lighting.

Always looking for more energy-efficient solutions, this item was bound to be replaced. On August 1, 2023, the Department of Energy under the Biden administration announced that they would be phasing out "energy-wasting lightbulbs". While it's still legal to use any bulbs you have on hand, the manufacture and sale of incandescent lightbulbs was officially banned.

While touted as a cost savings for utility bills, the price of LED bulbs jumped dramatically, and that cost is now affecting holiday decorations.

LED Christmas Lights Jump in Price

As you untangle the long strings of holiday lights, plug them in and pray they all work. Running out to replace those lights is going to cost you more this year.

The website This Old House compared this year's cost for Holiday Lights with last year's prices.

The average price of a string of LED Christmas lights in 2022 added up to around $20. This year, that price has jumped about 25%. The same lights will cost about $25 this year.

There's no denying that inflation is partly responsible for the jump. The cost of raw materials, labor, and shipping adds to the price. However, the fact that incandescent lights are no longer on the market increased the demand for LEDs, adding to the price jump.

According to the US Department of Energy, "American consumers could save nearly $3 billion on their annual utility bills" by converting to LED bulbs over the traditional incandescent type.

Let's hope that's enough to offset the ever-increasing cost of a string of holiday lights.