It seems GE has made a tremendous breakthrough in LED lighting. This has the potential of reducing the amount of energy used around the world dramatically. And all this without the mercury involved in CFL lighting. Unfortunately, it appears GE isn’t thinking of putting these in the hands of middle and lower income consumers. Only the rich will be able to afford the luxury of curbing their electricity usage.

You see, GE thinks that US consumers will be willing to pay $40 – $50 per bulb to make the trade. A mid-size home in the US uses about 30 bulbs. Currently, you can buy a package of 4 incandescent bulbs for less than $2. At $40 per bulb, it would cost $1200 to retrofit your home. Anybody just happen to have $1200 sitting around to spend on light bulbs when you could spend $16 instead?

I know, I know, we ought to think more about the environment. The only thing is, most middle and lower income people can’t afford a lump sum payment that high simple to save a little of the environment.

GE talks in terms of long-term savings, saying the bulbs will last 17 years. Well, in today’s mobile society, people don’t stay in the same residence for that long. I guess people will just start packing up their bulbs and taking them with them when they move, provided they have already made the $1200+ investment.

So, GE seems to have gotten it half right so far. Good on them for the invention, now it’s time to rethink that pricing policy.