From the 1 September its goodbye to the old incandescent lightbulb, a design which has been around for more than 130 years.
From next month, EU starts the mandatory phase out of 100W and frosted incandescent (or old fashioned) lightbulbs. The new legislation is designed to cut wasted energy and high electricity bills, and 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 CO2 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.
The incandescent bulb has been around since 1879 when Thomas Alva Edison invented a commercially viable bulb which used a carbon filament capable of burning for forty hours places it within an oxygenless bulb.
The change to energy efficient bulbs has not been without controversy, however EU health experts concluded that there is not enough evidence to suggest that modern lamps can aggravate epilepsy or migraines, while the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Health (DoH) have worked closely with groups representing those with specific sight and light-sensitive skin conditions to minimise any adverse effects from the use of CFLs.
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