EU Ban on Light Bulbs Starts Today

A European Union ban on the manufacture and import of 100 watt and frosted incandescent light bulbs comes into effect today, September 1.

The EU wants the bulbs that have been in use since the 19th century to be replaced mainly by longer-lasting compact fluorescent lamps reports BBC News. Businesses and green groups are welcoming the legislation that is aimed at reducing emissions of carbon dioxide by around five million tonnes a year or the equivalent of taking 73,000 cars off the road reports Click Green. Fluorescent lighting uses 80% less electricity than traditional bulbs according to the Energy Saving Trust but are more expensive than traditional bulbs although over the life of the bulb you should save money. Some shopkeepers have reported that many people were stockpiling 100W bulbs ahead of the ban that will be extended to all incandescent bulbs by 2012. The Telegraph reports that the legislation only refers to "household lamps” and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has no power to ban the import or sale of the bulbs for "industrial use", which will still be available from specialists. The gap in the law means they can still buy the items as long as the packaging is marked “not suitable for household illumination”. The most common complaints about the new bulbs include they take too long to warm up, they give off poor light and they contain mercury, making them potentially hazardous and hard to dispose of. There are also health concerns over the use of the new energy-saving bulbs. Fluorescent light is said by some lupus sufferers to trigger painful symptoms. It has also been linked to migraines and an increase in the risk of seizures for people with epilepsy but The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that EU health experts have "concluded that there is not enough evidence to suggest that modern lamps can aggravate epilepsy or migraines".