A ban on incandescent light bulbs is to take effect in Jamaica April 1, 2023.

The ban will cover importation, export, manufacture, distribution, sale and purchase of the light bulbs.

A release Friday afternoon from the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology says the ban was approved by Cabinet on September 19.

The move follows a 2018 decision by CARICOM to commence banning incandescent lighting, in an effort to promote efficiency and energy conservation as well as protect consumers from underperforming light bulbs.

The release says studies were done by the Jamaica Power Service Company (JPS) and the ministry in 2019 and 2020 which showed that switching from 60W incandescent bulbs to 9W LED bulbs in the home could reduce energy consumption by 85 per cent.

"The Ministry recommends the use of LED bulbs as they are energy saving and have greater longevity. LED lighting products typically last 3 to 5 times longer than contact fluorescent bulbs or 30 times longer than an incandescent bulb," it says.

The ministry estimates that replacing incandescent bulbs with higher efficiency lighting like LEDs could save Jamaica $1.3 billion per annum.

The ministry says some sectors in the market will need more time to adjust and, therefore, special permitting consideration will be given to persons, such as small chicken farmers.

It says it will embark on a comprehensive public education campaign to inform citizens of the benefits of replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient lighting technologies.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.