If a 60 watt bulb lasts 1000 hours at $0.10/kWh, that's $6 even if the bulb was free. So quadrupling the price has negligible effect on its total cost ($6.25 vs $7.00).

> you used to be able to buy them for about a fourth of that cost.

The skeptic in me assumes they are taking advantage of the misconception and luring in people wanting incandescent bulbs before they run out.

The skeptic in you would be pleased to know those "post-ban" bulbs fail much faster, and live about a quarter of the time.

As much as I tried to avoid all of these new ugly light bulbs (never met a florescent that looked right, and it took me a long time to find an acceptable LED), I eventually just got rid of all incandescents and got CREE warm whites.