Marketing ploy?

[ptonsparky]

I see my costs for a straight GFCI breaker is about $40 higher than the new AFCI/GFCI combo style. CH. Hard to justify the added expense for just GFCI protection.

Have the manufacturers geared up for 2017 changes already?

 

[kwired]

Supply/demand thing.

They want to sell anything with AFCI protection in it so they are going to make sure to have enough production to keep the thing in supply and the price low enough so it is being purchased instead of other alternatives, just like big oil companies increase or decrease refinery production when they want to see a price change (either direction) at the gas pumps.

 

[augie47]

Our local "big box" stores have stopped stocking anything but the dual-function GF/AF breaker.
Reduces inventory and confusion (many of the customers and 99% of the employees did not know the difference between a "combination" AFCI and a "dual function" GF/AF)

 

[kwired]

This would also undermine the receptacle GFCI sales to a certain extent as there would be less need for them if the GFCI protection is already present at the branch circuit breaker. GFCI receptacles haven't exactly gotten cheaper either with this last generation that is now self testing, plus NEC wants them to be readily accessible now, though that isn't all that new of a requirement anymore for most people.