Lights out for incandescents at Ikea
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STEVE CHIOTAKIS: Step inside one of those big blue Ikea stores and you’re sure to find just about anything for your home. Except common incandescent light bulbs. Ikea’s not selling them anymore.
And Marketplace’s Eve Troeh tried to find out what that means for her Ikea desk lamp.
Eve Troeh typing out loud: Can I still buy a bulb for my Ynka lamp at Ikea?
Troeh: The answer from Ikea online? “Sorry we are unable to locate this item.” Seems Ynka’s gone the way of the dodo.
Not surprising, says Kevin Tuerff with Enviromedia marketing. Ikea would quit selling old lamps as it’s phased out old bulbs.
Kevin Tuerff: It may mean leaving some of their own products behind, but it also presents new sales opportunities.
And, he says, Ikea’s getting ahead of regulation. Many countries have banned incandescent bulbs, and the U.S. will start phasing out the most inefficient ones next year.
Kateri Callahan with the Alliance to Save Energy says Americans are buying more efficient bulbs on their own, to save on power bills. She expects more announcements like Ikea’s.
Kateri Callahan:You’re simply going to see a quicker transition because we’re going to be getting the junk, if you will, out of the marketplace.
As for my junk, Ikea finally determined it does not have a halogen, CFL or LED light for the Ynka. But I could buy a new desk lamp, called Snoig.
I’m Eve Troeh for Marketplace.
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