197/09 On 1
September the EU starts the mandatory phase out of 100W and
frosted incandescent (or old fashioned) lightbulbs.
This new legislation to cut wasted energy and high electricity
bills was agreed by EU Member States last December with support of
the UK.
The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to cut down
energy-inefficient products which cost people more money to run
and are bad for the environment as they have higher carbon
emissions.
A voluntary initiative to phase out old fashioned bulbs started
in 2007 with the keen support of a number of UK energy suppliers
and retailers.
Environment Minister Dan Norris said:
“We can no longer rely on light bulbs which waste 95 per cent of
their energy as heat. We are glad the EU has put this measure in
place to stop the waste of energy and money from old fashioned
high energy bulbs. The UK has had a successful voluntary
initiative in place for a few years, and now the rest of the EU
will follow suit on a mandatory basis.
“This is great news for people who will pay less in electricity
and even better news for the planet, as this will amount to 1
million tonnes of saved CO 2 per year by 2020. ”
Energy efficient bulbs now come in every size, shape and design,
with dimmable versions and bayonet and screw fittings. The
technology in low energy bulbs has improved greatly and now the
variety and choice is there for every household or business.
TOP 10 LIGHTBULBS MYTHS
Aren’t they expensive?
Energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) have come down
in price and will continue to do so. Some new CFLs are available
at similar prices to old fashioned bulbs (50p in some shops).
Energy efficient lamps save money, up to £3-6 per lamp per year
according to the Energy Saving Trust, and so the pay back can be
seen in months. They also last longer so you don’t need to buy
them as often. Halogen ‘look-alike’ bulbs are now available to fit
in standard sockets, though these lamps do not last as long as
CFLs and only offer a 25 – 40 per cent of savings compared to
traditional bulbs.
They don't fit all fittings.
Yes, they do. Lamps are now much smaller than previous CFL ones,
and come in very similar sizes and shapes to incandescent lamps.
They come in all bayonet and screw fittings now. Where fittings
are really small, halogen ‘look-alike’ lamps are available,
although these do not offer the same energy savings. Dimmable
versions are also available.
They don't last as long as I thought
CFLs should last longer than incandescent lamps, though towards
the end of life they fade over time rather than blow. Under EU
legislation there will be a minimum guaranteed lifetime.
They take ages to warm up and give off dull light
Many lamps come on instantly and no lamp should come on later
than a second or two after flicking the switch. The light now is
flicker free as although CFL bulbs used to operate at mains
frequency (50Hz) they are now designed to operate at 1000 times
that frequency. The light is bright and clear and test conducted
by the Energy Saving Trust suggest that the majority of people
cannot tell the difference between the light of a new CFL and an
incandescent bulb.
They won't save me money
CFL low energy bulbs save 80% energy compared to an old fashioned
bulb. According to the Energy Saving Trust this can be £3-6 per
lamp off your energy bills.
I can't recycle them
All local Councils provide recycling facilities for CFLs and some
retailers will take them back. Councils are looking at what they
can do to make it easier to recycle these bulbs. With all new
products the end of life recycling can take a while to become
widespread, but this is happening now and being taken very
seriously by local and national government.
Haven’t there been health concerns?
EU health experts concluded that there is not enough evidence to
suggest that modern lamps can aggravate epilepsy or migraines, but
Defra and DoH have worked really closely with groups representing
those with specific sight and light-sensitive skin conditions to
minimise any adverse effects from the use of CFLs.
They contain mercury.
The evidence shows that the amount of mercury in lamps is less
than the mercury that would be otherwise released into the
atmosphere by coal-fire power generation to produce the energy
used by an incandescent lamp. The mercury cannot escape from an
intact lamp and, even if the lamp should be broken, the very small
amount of mercury contained in a single, modern CFL is most
unlikely to cause any harm. Safe disposal of a smashed bulb is on
our website at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/products/lightbulbs.htm
.
Getting rid of old fashioned light bulbs limits my choice
CFL bulbs are not the only ones on the markets. Halogen bulbs
that fit into standard lighting sockets will remain on sale too
although these lamps don’t save as much energy as CFLs.
I will need to change all my light bulbs as a
result of these measures
No-one will be forced to change their light bulbs, or their
fittings, and retailers will be able to sell on existing stocks.
The EU measure, under the Eco-design for Energy-using Products
Framework Directive restricts the manufacture and import into the
EU of 100W and frosted incandescent lamps from 1 September, with a
phase out of lamps of lower wattage by 2012.
Notes to editors
1. For more information please see the Defra light bulb page on
the website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/products/lightbulbs.htm.
The Energy Saving Trust website has more on light bulbs and
their handy lighting guide:
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Energy-saving-products/Energy-saving-lightbulbs-and-fittings.
The one million tonnes of CO2 saved is from the EU measure,
under the Eco-design for Energy-using Products Directive. Further
energy and CO2 savings can be attributed to the UK’s voluntary
initiative, and other schemes.
Details of the UK voluntary initiative are available at
http://www.gov-news.org/gov/uk/news/energy_guzzling_lightbulbs_phase_out_to_start/42769.html.
The following retailers support the UK voluntary initiative:
ASDA, B&Q, The Co-operative Group, Home Retail Group
(Argos and Homebase), IKEA, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer,
Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco, Waitrose,
Wickes, Woolworths, British Retail Consortium, Association of
Convenience Stores and the British Hardware Federation. It is also
being promoted through the major energy companies as part of their
activities through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target
(CERT).Timeline
| Stage
|
Date | Main result
|
| 1 |
1 September 2009
| Clear lamps equivalent
to 100W incandescent bulbs, or above, must be minimum C
class. Non-clear (frosted / pearl) bulbs must be minimum
A-class. |
| 2
| 1
September 2010 | Phase-out of 75 W clear incandescent bulbs.
Manufacturers have to supply more information on packs, and
have web sites available for more detail on bulbs and their
performance. |
| 3
| 1
September 2011 | Phase-out of 60W clear incandescent bulbs.
|
| 4 |
1 September 2012
| Phase out of all
remaining clear incandescent bulbs (i.e. 40W and 25W). |
|
5 | 1 September 2013
| Performance requirements
set on September 2009 altered to be more stringent. |
|
6 | 1 September 2016
| Raising the minimum
level to B class for clear bulbs above 60 Lumens (i.e.
phasing out C-class retrofit halogen bulbs). |
Contacts:
Defra Press Office
NDS.DEFRA@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Susan. Crown
Phone: 020 7238 5054
susan.crown@defra.gsi.gov.uk