The government has been warning us of this plot for years and this week the clock will strike twelve for you fans of incandescent light bulbs. The day of the ban arrives with the month of August. At that point, it will become illegal to manufacture or sell the traditional bulbs and Americans will only be able to purchase LED lights from retail outlets. Why are they doing this? They offer two reasons. First, they claim that it will help you save money. And second, it will be good for the environment. (At least they didn’t say “climate” this time.) Both of these explanations are problematic in their own way as we’ll get to in a moment. But more details on the ban are available at NewsNation.

Starting next week, Americans will only be able to purchase LED lights from retailers across the nation as an official ban on incandescent lightbulbs will go into effect.

Come Tuesday, while it won’t be illegal to own incandescent light bulbs, it will be illegal for stores to sell them and companies to manufacture them.

The federal government’s warnings started in January and have been getting progressively more aggressive as they want to make sure Americans don’t go back in time. The government announced a ban on the manufacturing and selling of incandescent bulbs, saying it will help Americans save money and help the environment.

Let’s first note that it will not be illegal to own or use incandescent bulbs when the ban begins. So they won’t be paying rewards to your neighbors to rat you out if you still have some in your lamps. (Or at least not yet.) You just won’t be able to buy any replacements.

I will first admit that the lifespan of modern LED light bulbs is indeed impressive. We have had some in our house that have lasted for at least six years before they began to die, far longer than standard bulbs. (My wife is a big fan of LED bulbs and my couch is not comfortable enough to sleep on regularly.) So they definitely have that going for them. But let’s look at the government’s claims supposedly justifying forcing the entire nation to switch.

They tell us that switching to LED bulbs will help you save money. Is that true? Well, over the long run, it probably is. But you should be aware upfront that LED bulbs cost an average of five to seven dollars while incandescent bulbs average two to three dollars. Since LED bulbs can last up to 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs, over the course of the bulb’s life, you will save money. But if you need light bulbs right now, you’re going to be paying more. That cost may be additionally offset by the fact that the LED bulbs use five times less electricity, however. So it’s not a totally unfair claim to make.

Then there is the claim that LED bulbs will be better for the environment. Their major and nearly only claim to fame on that count is that they are so much more energy efficient that you’ll use less electricity and presumably reduce your “carbon footprint.” But you should also be aware of what the bulbs leave behind when they finally expire. Modern LED bulbs no longer have mercury in them (which is nice) but they do have lead, arsenic, and other potentially harmful substances. People even publish guides showing you how to safely dispose of them. (That link goes to one such guide.) If you break an incandescent bulb you can just sweep up the remains and put them in the trash.

Beyond all of the technical details, it’s simply annoying how heavy-handed and arbitrary the government is being with this move. Most people are probably interested in saving money, but is it the federal government’s job to forcibly tell you how you’re going to obtain those savings? Can the government ban larger cars and trucks to force you to save money on gas?

Will the government ban dogs so that more people will adopt cats? Whether it’s pets or light bulbs, these should be choices that people make for themselves and the market will sort things out based on their preferences. But not when it comes to light bulbs, apparently. This may not seem like a big deal at the moment, but if they can ban incandescent bulbs without showing how they are legitimately harmful to the user, what else will they ban? If they’re using climate and the environment has a valid justification for a ban, then there will be no stopping them when they come for your gas stoves and your cars. And they’re already working on plans for both. We never should have allowed them to get away with this light bulb ban so easily.