Various governments have passed laws to part out manufacturing or EcoLight importation of incandescent gentle bulbs for EcoLight bulbs basic lighting in favor of more power-efficient alternatives. The laws are generally primarily based on efficiency, slightly than use of incandescent technology. Objections to alternative of incandescent lamps for common lighting embrace the higher buying expense of different lamps and their hazardous material content. To mitigate the price results of these considerations the price of alternative lamps could also be decreased by subsidies. Manufacturers developed fluorescent lamps with decreased mercury content material compared to unique designs, and recycling programs are intended to prevent mercury launch. New lamp sorts provide improved starting characteristics, and dimmable sorts are available. The sunshine from an incandescent source is analogous in character to that from a Planckian "black body" in spectral distribution, that is, the bulb, as the filament heats up, produces light at wavelengths throughout the seen spectrum. Alternative mild sources use phosphors or combinations of mono-chromatic LEDs (red, blue, and inexperienced) to provide "white" mild, giving considerably irregular spectral distributions that can create colour casts in photography and differences of color matching when compared to incandescent light or daylight.

Halogen lamps are a kind of incandescent lamp with improved effectivity over regular incandescent lamps. Though not as vitality efficient as different options, they're up to 40 % more efficient than customary incandescent lamps designed for a 2000-hour life. Depending on measurement, voltage, and designed life, small, EcoLight bulbs low-voltage halogen lamps can have 70% larger efficacy than large, line-voltage lamps. They operate at a excessive temperature, which could also be a security hazard in some purposes. A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) makes use of a fluorescent lamp tube which is curved or folded to suit into the house of an incandescent bulb and comprises a compact digital ballast in the bottom of the lamp. Compared to normal-service incandescent lamps giving the identical quantity of visible mild, CFLs use one-fifth to 1-third the electric energy and may last eight to fifteen occasions longer. Newer phosphor formulations have improved the perceived coloration, with "delicate white" CFLs judged subjectively related to plain incandescent lamps. Compact fluorescent lamps start poorly when cold, and most sorts cannot be dimmed.

A number of specialist functions are unsuitable for CFLs. Mild emitting diode (LED) lamps are used for EcoLight bulbs both common and particular-function lighting. UV rays that fade coloured materials. LED lamps radiate much less heat than different technologies, and could be both multi-directional or unidirectional, EcoLight bulbs eliminating the necessity for a mirrored reflector in the bulb or fixture. LED lamps can emit saturated coloured mild. Disadvantages include spectrum limitations as a result of discrete emission colors. Their buy price was much larger than other EcoLight bulbs, but has decreased steadily through the years. Botswana has an alternate program distributing CFL bulbs. Of the members of ECOWAS, Cape Verde, Guinea, Mali, EcoLight Nigeria, Benin and Togo have had exchange packages to change incandescent bulbs with power efficient versions. Ghana banned incandescent bulbs in 2008 and EcoLight Senegal has banned the manufacture and import. Egypt is reported to have a partial ban on incandescent gentle bulbs. Kenya has a programme to trade a number of gentle bulbs with extra efficient varieties.

Morocco has a programme to change plenty of gentle bulbs with extra efficient varieties. Rwanda has an alternate program, distributing CFL bulbs. Tanzania has an change program to substitute incandescent bulbs. Tunisia is reported to have a partial ban on incandescent light bulbs. Since January 2016, EcoLight brand the importation of incandescent light bulbs has been banned in Zambia. Zimbabwe has banned incandescent light bulbs. Bahrain has banned incandescent gentle bulbs. Bangladesh has an exchange program. One other source, however, EcoLight bulbs has indicated that by 1 October 2016, all incandescent mild bulbs can be banned. In line with this source, 1 November 2011 to 30 September 2012 shall be a transitional interval and as of 1 October 2012, imports and sales of strange incandescent bulbs of 100 watts or more can be prohibited. The primary section will be adopted by a ban on 60-watt-and-higher incandescent gentle bulbs starting in October 2014. By October 2016, all incandescent gentle bulbs shall be banned in China.

While not a whole ban, the UJALA plan in India sought to change 770 million incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs by 2019. This was anticipated to cut back energy consumption by over a hundred billion kWh yearly and reduce annual electricity payments 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 the use of incandescent bulbs in authorities departments, various boards, cooperative establishments, native bodies, and institutions running on authorities support. As of 1 August 2017, Kuwait has banned the import of incandescent gentle bulbs, energy-efficient bulbs including halogen bulbs. It was reported in 2012 that Malaysia would ban production, import and gross sales incandescent bulbs by 2014 as part of efforts to avoid wasting energy and to help cut greenhouse fuel emissions. Nepal has banned incandescent mild bulbs. North Korea reportedly made LED bulbs necessary in 2014 to alleviate its energy disaster. The Philippines was among the first Asian international locations to part-out incandescent mild bulbs.