“At the start of 2014, regulations kicked in mandating the phase-out of traditional 40-watt and 60-watt incandescent bulbs,” Fox News reports. Edison produced the first incandescent bulbs with thin, bamboo filaments. Manufacturers eventually replaced bamboo filaments with tungsten strips for widespread use and sale. These adaptations, however, were not particularly environmentally friendly.

Now manufacturers all over the world are racing to create the most energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing light bulbs and lighting fixtures. Replacement bulbs range from copper filament bulbs to compact fluorescent light (CFL) and light emitting diode (LED) options. A manufacturer describes copper filament bulbs: “We replace that tungsten filament that you find in a typical incandescent light bulb with a piece of copper wire. And what happens is when you energize that piece of copper, it allows the bulbs to glow this warm, kind of welcoming light.” These models, he continues, are most akin to incandescent in appearances. Copper-based bulbs last for up to 15 years, making them 75% more effective than the bulbs they are replacing.

CFLs are often described as cumbersome and expensive — costing at least 50 cents per bulb. They also take longer to light up a room, and they require special disposal, thanks to their lead content. LED bulbs are much more cost-effective, especially over the long-run, with some lasting up to 25,000 hours, according to The Mother Nature Network (MNN).

Now that incandescent bulbs are being faded out, how does that effect you? Is that something you’re dealing with immediately, or something that will become more relevant as stocks of incandescent bulbs are no longer available?]