Am 16.09.11 07:21, schrieb Don Klipstein:

As of a few months ago, the most recent studies that I could easily
find determined that about 9% of American electricity consumption and
about 11% of American electric bills were for lighting.

As for residential indoor consumption in pre-ban Europe, the figures
were more like one-third of yours. Please check if your sources
differentiate between residential and other.

http://greenwashinglamps.wordpress.com/category/energy-statistics/u-s-energy-statistics/

And many Americans have their lighting
accounting for well-above-average percentage of their electric bills, and
benefit greatly by using energy-efficient lighting. For example, most
apartment renters in the metropolitan areas of NYC, Philadelphia and
Chicago - where electricity cost is above national average.

But is there any law *forcing* these unfortunate people to use
incandescent bulbs instead of cfl or led lighting?

And, by which logic do higher electric rates increase the percentage of
electric bills caused by lighting? Wouldn't economics suggest that a
high rate increases the incentive to save electricity where it
subjectively hurts the billpayer the least? If the billpayer chooses to
use compact mercury-fluorescent lamps instead of some incandescents,
fine. They're not illegal, and first cost is pretty low thanks to
darling China.