As of 1995, there is a new law called "EPACT", or Energy Policy Act, which
changes the types of fixtures/bulbs available. The "old fashioned" 40 watt
tubes for the pre-1995 fixtures are now, or soon will be unavailable, or at
least a lot more expensive. These fixtures can use new lower wattage
tubes, but this gets you less light. There are new tubes available now
that are only appropriate for new fixtures. I'm not an expert at this, so
I'll let the experts explain better. See one of these for more details:
http://www.oikos.com/esb/41/epact/epact.html
http://www.lowes.com/frames/search/findex.htm
Or just do a search on EPACT... there are other pages with useful
information too.
Anyway, when comparing your experiences, it matters if you have "old
technology" or "new technology" fixtures and bulbs.
|