The standards banned bulbs that produced fewer than 45 lumens, a measure of light, per watt, a unit of power. Compact fluorescent bulbs were invented in 1976.

Lumens measure light output. The higher the number, the brighter the light. Color temperature is measured in Kelvins. Lower numbers look more gold, and higher Kelvin numbers look blue.

The Dept. of Energy's ban on the sale and manufacture of most incandescent light bulbs took effect on Wednesday more than a decade and a half after such a ban was first proposed.

The standards banned bulbs that produced fewer than 45 lumens, a measure of light, per watt, a unit of power. Compact fluorescent bulbs were invented in 1976.

That's because traditional incandescent bulbs provide just 15 lumens per watt, according to light bulb manufacturer Philips. By contrast, most LED bulbs will get you 75 lumens per watt, or more.

Light per bulb: 450 lumens If you have a lot of task lighting in your small bathroom, these LED lights from Sunco are the best for you. Not only do they boast 450 lumens per bulb, but they use up ...