Numerous governments have passed legislation to section out manufacturing or importation of incandescent mild bulbs for normal EcoLight lighting in favor of more energy-environment friendly alternate options. The laws are generally based on effectivity, relatively than use of incandescent know-how. Objections to replacement of incandescent lamps for common lighting embrace the upper buying expense of alternative lamps and their hazardous material content material. To mitigate the fee results of those considerations the price of other lamps may be decreased by subsidies. Manufacturers developed fluorescent lamps with diminished mercury content compared to original designs, and recycling packages are meant to stop mercury launch. New lamp sorts provide improved beginning traits, and EcoLight dimmable types can be found. The light from an incandescent supply is similar 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 all through the visible spectrum. Alternative light sources use phosphors or combos of mono-chromatic LEDs (purple, blue, and inexperienced) to produce "white" gentle, giving considerably irregular spectral distributions that may create color casts in photography and differences of coloration matching when in comparison with incandescent mild or daylight.

Halogen lamps are a sort of incandescent lamp with improved effectivity over common incandescent lamps. Though not as power efficient as different alternate options, they're as much as 40 p.c extra environment friendly than customary incandescent lamps designed for a 2000-hour life. Relying on size, voltage, and designed life, small, low-voltage halogen lamps can have 70% higher efficacy than massive, line-voltage lamps. They operate at a excessive temperature, which may be a security hazard in some functions. A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) makes use of a fluorescent lamp tube which is curved or folded to suit into the area of an incandescent bulb and comprises a compact electronic ballast in the bottom of the lamp. Compared to basic-service incandescent lamps giving the identical amount of visible mild, CFLs use one-fifth to 1-third the electric power and should final eight to fifteen instances longer. Newer phosphor formulations have improved the perceived colour, with "smooth white" CFLs judged subjectively comparable to standard incandescent lamps. Compact fluorescent lamps start poorly when chilly, and most varieties can't be dimmed.

A few specialist functions are unsuitable for CFLs. Gentle emitting diode (LED) lamps are used for each normal and special-purpose lighting. UV rays that fade coloured supplies. LED lamps radiate much much less heat than different applied sciences, and EcoLight might be both multi-directional or unidirectional, eliminating the need for a mirrored reflector within the bulb or fixture. LED lamps can emit saturated colored gentle. Disadvantages embody spectrum limitations on account of discrete emission colours. Their buy cost was much larger than different bulbs, however has decreased steadily over time. Botswana has an change program distributing CFL bulbs. Of the members of ECOWAS, Cape Verde, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Benin and Togo have had change packages to change incandescent bulbs with energy efficient variations. 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 trade quite a lot of mild bulbs with extra environment friendly sorts.

Morocco has a programme to trade quite a few mild bulbs with more efficient sorts. Rwanda has an exchange program, distributing CFL bulbs. Tanzania has an alternate program to replace incandescent bulbs. Tunisia is reported to have a partial ban on incandescent mild bulbs. Since January 2016, the importation of incandescent light bulbs has been banned in Zambia. Zimbabwe has banned incandescent mild bulbs. Bahrain has banned incandescent mild bulbs. Bangladesh has an change program. Another supply, nevertheless, has indicated that by 1 October 2016, all incandescent light bulbs shall be banned. In keeping with this source, 1 November 2011 to 30 September 2012 shall be a transitional period and as of 1 October 2012, imports and gross sales of odd incandescent bulbs of a hundred watts or extra might be prohibited. The primary phase will probably be followed by a ban on 60-watt-and-increased incandescent mild bulbs beginning in October 2014. By October 2016, all incandescent gentle bulbs shall be banned in China.

While not an entire ban, the UJALA plan in India sought to replace 770 million incandescent gentle bulbs with LED bulbs by 2019. This was anticipated to reduce power consumption by over one hundred billion kWh yearly and reduce 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, Kerala and Karnataka in India have banned using incandescent bulbs in authorities departments, various boards, cooperative establishments, native our bodies, and institutions running on government assist. As of 1 August 2017, Kuwait has banned the import of incandescent gentle bulbs, including halogen bulbs. It was reported in 2012 that Malaysia would ban manufacturing, import and EcoLight lighting gross sales incandescent bulbs by 2014 as a part of efforts to avoid wasting energy and to assist minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Nepal has banned incandescent light bulbs. North Korea reportedly made LED bulbs mandatory in 2014 to alleviate its power disaster. The Philippines was among the first Asian nations to part-out incandescent mild bulbs.