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Author Topic: EU light bulb ban  (Read 11010 times)

MikeS

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EU light bulb ban
« on: March 03, 2009, 03:20:56 PM »

Got an email from one of the companies I have bought light bulbs from with some information on which bulbs are going to be banned come September.  It's a much wider ban than I had expected and includes some halogen lamps, including the 100W ones used in security lights.

See      http://www.lampspecs.co.uk/LBB.pdf

All in all a total pain.
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oldfogy

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2009, 04:05:34 PM »

Seems strange that they appear to be concentrating on banning "non clear" lamps.

Although, apart from the fact that that particular piece of information is also designed to get you to buy products from their company, there did seem a slight mix-up concerning candle lamps, on the first page one paragraph said even they are being banned, yet the last paragraph indicates something slightly different.
As "normal" candle lamps are not made larger than 60watt part of this information is not very accurate.
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fudgem

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2009, 04:09:44 PM »

We have stocked up with ordinary light bulbs, should have enough to see us out :P  and I wonder if lots of people have been doing the same.  Practically every shop I go into has the energy saving ones on sale at 10 for a pound (or 99 pence each)
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oldfogy

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2009, 04:26:31 PM »

I have ceiling fans which take 3 lamps per fitting and are also connected through a dimmer switch's, energy saving lamps will be too big to fit into the shades and are not designed to work on dimmer switches, so where does that leave them?

Stockpile .........
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MikeS

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2009, 04:50:17 PM »

<Although, apart from the fact that that particular piece of information is also designed to get you to buy products from their company, there did seem a slight mix-up concerning candle lamps, on the first page one paragraph said even they are being banned, yet the last paragraph indicates something slightly different.>

Think all they are saying is that clear bulbs, candle or other types, will continue to be available but non clear i.e pearl/opal etc will be banned, presumably because they are less 'efficient' than the clear ones.
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kitz

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2009, 11:43:52 AM »

Quote
We have stocked up with ordinary light bulbs, should have enough to see us out  and I wonder if lots of people have been doing the same

I havent..   and for the past month or so Ive been looking in the usual places to see if I can find any.  I have 2 rooms which the energy saving bulbs are useless - either because they wont fit the shade...  or because I use a dimmer switch... or because I dont find the energy saving ones responsive or bright enough.

Cant believe that you used to easily be able to purchase 4 for a quid... but can you find them in the shops now - nope :/
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oldfogy

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2009, 12:41:02 PM »


or because I use a dimmer switch...

Some time ago I spoke to one of the wholesalers I still use from time-to-time and they said that some of the new energy saving lamps are now being made suitable for existing dimmers.

So either check the packaging or ask the supplier to check with their suppliers.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2009, 02:10:52 PM »

Quote
We have stocked up with ordinary light bulbs, should have enough to see us out  and I wonder if lots of people have been doing the same

I havent..   and for the past month or so Ive been looking in the usual places to see if I can find any.  I have 2 rooms which the energy saving bulbs are useless - either because they wont fit the shade...  or because I use a dimmer switch... or because I dont find the energy saving ones responsive or bright enough.

Cant believe that you used to easily be able to purchase 4 for a quid... but can you find them in the shops now - nope :/

I popped into a B&Q warehouse (Milton Keynes) last week, and they still had a good stock of own-brand standard-shape 60W Pearl at 4 for under a pound (88p iirc).  They even had some left after I'd filled my trolley (ten boxes):)

I also stocked up on more 25W candles than I care to admit, but they were a bit more expensive at something over £2 for four.  It's the candles I'll be most reliant on, as our house has a proliferation of wall fittings which are entirely dependent on low-wattage candles.

Reallistically, I think that should be adequate for the next five to ten years (we've a lot of light fittings in our house, blame the builder!).   I can only hope that, in five or ten years time,  technology will have caught up with legislation and reallistic alternative-technology bulbs will be available.

Incidentally, I've heard it suggested that one reason all those low-energy bulbs are being sold off cheap is that much-improved versions will be launched in the foreseeable future.  I guess the business model would be to encourage as much uptake as possible of the existing stock of bulbs, with the expectation that they'll be discarded and replaced when better ones become available, thereby generating  additional revenue later for the makers and retailers.   It's just a rumour.
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kitz

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2009, 09:48:14 AM »

Ive just been looking around online

From here

Quote
Can energy savers be used with a dimmer switch?
Most compact fluorescent energy savers available on the UK market cannot be dimmed using a standard domestic dimmer. The latest technology “Dimmerable” energy savers started to be introduced in October 2007 and can be dimmed simply by rotating a standard dimmer switch. Please check to ensure that you are ordering the correct item before using an energy saver with a dimmer switch.

The dimmer ones seems to be in the price bracket of around £10 +   :mad:


>> they still had a good stock of own-brand standard-shape 60W Pearl

I have seen plenty of 60W bulbs..  tbh Im not too bothered about those and have already replaced some with the new bulbs.

The light fitting in the computer room currently only takes the old style bulbs but if push comes to shove id replace the shade.

I think the only room where it would be a PITA is my bedroom.
~ It has a dimmer
~ I need 100Watt - you know what us women are like - we need to be able to see to put on our make-up etc.
~ I have a not too cheap light fitting that I really like - also specifically bought because it still lets lots of light through (see above).


>>> It's the candles I'll be most reliant on,

Hmmm... good point - guess what I need to stock up on!
I'd forgotten about the lounge fittings and all the candle bulbs.  Didnt realise they too were about to go bye bye.
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oldfogy

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2009, 02:47:49 PM »



>>> It's the candles I'll be most reliant on,

Didnt realise they too were about to go bye bye.
The latest chatter is:
"They are not about to go bye bye" basically because the powers-that-be have realised that there are a lot of people who rely on candle lamps and it will be a bit much to expect people to change all their fittings.

Although I doubt if we will carry-on and get the same variety as at present.
Not forgetting that there are energy saving candle lamps already in production.
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jazz

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2009, 02:48:47 PM »

I bought a "dimmerable" energy efficient bulb (a Megaman) and found it terrible.  The lighting dimmed fine but it made an awful lot of noise - it sounded like I'd developed tinnitus.  I got rid of it and changed the light switches!  If you are going to buy one (and they're not cheap) I'd suggest you ask for sale or return if it doesn't work on your dimmer switch!
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: EU light bulb ban
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2009, 05:47:35 PM »

I bought a "dimmerable" energy efficient bulb (a Megaman) and found it terrible.  The lighting dimmed fine but it made an awful lot of noise - it sounded like I'd developed tinnitus.  I got rid of it and changed the light switches!  If you are going to buy one (and they're not cheap) I'd suggest you ask for sale or return if it doesn't work on your dimmer switch!

Be cautious of any 'sale or return' policies.  I recently bought a dusk-til-dawn low-energy bulb, for about £12-£14 or something like that, from Maplin which simply didn't work properly, it just flashed on & off randomly.  There was a slip of paper in the box that more or less admitted it might flash on & off randomly for the first few hours, which I took to mean they knew darned well there was a design fault.  So after mine was still flashing on&off a day later I decided to get a refund, and buy another brand of dusk-dawn low energy bulb that I knew worked perfectly.

When I took the Maplin bulb back (within three days) to the shop, they refused to refund on the basis of some small-print that, they claimed, allows them the right to send returned goods off for testing before offering refund or replacement, and apparently that was their policy for low-energy bulbs.

I ranted and raved as appropriate until I got my refund, but clearly they have some reason for taking a hard line on low-energy bulbs.  I've always found Maplin to be very good with refunds, so if they are taking a hard line then I suspect other retailers will do so too...
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