It's a nice idea that people given a choice would choose the better option but in practice people have demonstrated time after time that the average person is simply not informed or not intelligent enough to make an educated decision.
Let's try to keep Brexit and the results of recent elections in other countries worldwide out of this
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Henry Louis Mencken (1880 – 1956)
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Making up some numbers for the sake of example, if you offer a bulb that costs 10c, lasts 1,000 hours and consumes $10 worth of electricity, next to a bulb that costs $10, lasts 10,000 hours and also consumes $10 worth of electricity (because it's in service 10 times as long) it's quite obvious that the total cost of the $10 bulb is in fact much cheaper, but the average person will choose the 10c bulb almost every single time because they look at the price tag and see that it's cheaper.
I remember a friend trying to explain to a friend of his that a high efficiency air conditioning unit would save him money vs one that cost significantly less to install but the guy just couldn't seem to grasp it, even when offered a comparison like the miles per gallon of a car. For reasons I don't really understand, a lot of people don't seem to be able to make the connection between the energy consumption of a device and their monthly utility bill. Sure if you replace one incandescent light bulb with an LED bulb you probably won't notice a change in your utility bill, it's not visible through the noise. If you replace all of the frequently used bulbs all at once though the difference is substantial, especially when spread over several years.
What is it to you? It is their money. It is not like you are paying for it. People spend their money in ways I would not. So what? Isn't that what freedom is about? Suppose I want to fill up my swimming pool with the most expensive French Champagne; most people would say it is a waste but the question is if I should have the freedom to use my money as I want and not as others want. I paid for the champagne and it is mine to do as I please with it.
Many years ago, when I was much younger, I had a girlfriend who would have on all the lights in her apartment all the time, even all night when she was sleeping, and I, being young and foolish, would argue with her about the need to save the planet and all that. Of course, it didn't do me any good. In her apartment she could do whatever she wanted. She told me it made her feel safer. I thought it was silly but it was not my choice to make. If paying for that electricity made her feel better it was a very rational thing to do even if it seemed foolish to outsiders.
Most people who have SUV's do not "need" and SUV and yet we give them the freedom to own one. Who knows what goes through their head. They do not need an SUV from a practical standpoint but the obviously have their reasons like they feel richer in front of the neighbors, or more attractive, or safer, or who knows. We do not need to understand their reasons. That is what freedom means.
We were told CFL's would last much longer than incandescents and that turned out to not be true. So we were lied to and we paid for the lie. If I have my reasons to prefer an incandescent light I should not be prohibited from using one or forced to explain my reasons. And if others believe my choice is foolish I should still have the freedom to do it. That is what freedom means.
If I am in a house renting for a year I might decide it is not worth an investment that takes many years to pay back for itself. Maybe I get an appliance that is less efficient but much cheaper. I should have the freedom to do that and not have my freedom limited by bureaucrats who know nothing about my particular circumstances and preferences.
Maybe I have a gas guzzler and could save in the long run by buying a more efficient car but I should not be forced to do so. Maybe I do not drive enough miles to make it worthwhile. (BTW, yesterday I saw a 1978 Bentley and got talking with the driver and he told me it only had about 25000 miles on it.) Maybe I am just in love with my old car and I am willing to pay the premium. As long as I am the one paying for the fuel and maintenance why would anyone care what I do with my money?
Periodically there is rumbling about golf courses using "too much" water and prohibiting them from doing so. My view is that if they are paying for the water at whatever everybody else is paying for the water then they should be free to use the water for whatever they want. They say we should take showers and not baths because that saves water. And we should not water the yard in times of drought, etc. As a suggestion that is fine but I have a problem when those things are enforced by regulations. What if I prefer to take one bath a week rather than seven showers? Are we going to control what people do to the point of checking that they close the water faucet while they brush their teeth?
I want the freedom to use incandescent light bulbs and I have my reasons even though others may not share them. I have an incandescent light bulb in the well that houses the pool filtering system because I leave it turned on when there is danger of freezing. Why should I be forced to fit a low energy light and then separately a heating system? I have an incandescent light in the bathroom because it is the only type that has proven immune to the steam from the shower. Anything with electronics has a short life.
So that is how I became an outlaw. Then I went on to remove labels from mattresses and a long list of other nefarious acts.