Efficiency is taking on an ever-expanding role in the fight to cut carbon emissions. Standards are being tightened for all sorts of appliances, including the little ones.

In April, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) finalized energy-efficiency standards for general service lamps, otherwise known as common light bulbs.

The standards were mandated by Congress in 2007. The new rules will go into effect in July 2028.

U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm, said appliance efficiency standards like these are “one of the most effective ways” to cut costs and carbon emissions. According to the DOE, the new standards will save Americans more than $27 billion on utility bills and lead to a reduction of 70 million metric tons of carbon emissions. Both would be achieved over a 30-year period.

The effects of light bulb efficiency standards are multifold. In addition to cutting power, costs and emissions, they also result in the phasing out of certain types of bulbs which cannot meet the more stringent requirements. For example, previous minimum standards adopted by the DOE, also in response to the Congressional mandate, had the consequence of phasing out traditional, incandescent bulbs, which had been the most common light bulbs used by consumers, but were inefficient.

The new standards adopted this month will have the consequence of hastening the phase-out of another type of bulb, compact fluorescents, which the market has already been doing. In contrast, LED bulbs are much more efficient, and the new standards will support the market’s transition to those products instead.

The change will also have the desirable and intended consequence of making indoor spaces a little brighter. According to the DOE, the new rule will raise the efficiency level for the most common light bulbs by a factor of nearly three, from a current output of about 45 lumens per watt to more than 120 lumens per watt.