Householders exploit loophole in light bulb ban

Householders are set to defy a law banning “old fashioned” light bulbs by exploiting a loophole in new European legislation.

Published: 8:00AM BST 01 Sep 2009
From September 1, incandescent bulbs are outlawed from being imported to EU countries, to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
However the legislation only refers to "household lamps” and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has no power to ban the import or sale of the bulbs for "industrial use", which will still be available from specialists.

The Daily Telegraph has been inundated with letters and emails from householders, many whom have highlighted the loophole.
Brian Rogers, of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, wrote: “Those who lament the demise of the everyday bayonet cap household lamp need not worry. I suggest you pay a visit to your local electrical wholesaler and ask for a "rough service" lamp.
“These are identical to the normal ones except for slightly thicker glass envelopes and extra filament supports. They are more robust than the normal household item as their main use is in garage pit inspection lights and they need to stand up to more abuse.
"True to form our incompetent government have no idea how to legislate properly and have classified these lamps as for "industrial use". Therefore it will continue to be totally legal to manufacture and sell them.”
Shopkeepers have already reported many customers stocking up by buying the 100 watt bulbs in bulk and the gap in the law means they can still buy the items as long as the packaging is marked “not suitable for household illumination”.
When retailers introduced a voluntary ban on clear, pearl and frosted 100 watt bulbs in January, it triggered a wave of panic-buying. Some shops reported selling a year’s supply within a week.
Chris Gardiner, who runs three hardware stores in Cheshire including Vikings in Wilmslow, said: "We got 10,000 of the incandescent bulbs in stock because everyone was coming in asking for them. It tends to be older customers who prefer them and can't get them anywhere else."
Glynn Hughes, from Preston, said he bought enough of the incandescent bulbs to last 15 years.
"I reckon in 15 years people will have worked out that these [energy-saving] things aren't good for you and we'll be able to buy as many as we want of the old ones," he said.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, compact fluorescent lamps (energy-saving bulbs) use 80 per cent less electricity than standard bulbs.
They could also save the average household £590 in energy over their lifetime of between eight and 10 years, and if all traditional bulbs were replaced, the carbon saving would be the equivalent of taking 70,000 cars off the road.
But commonplace 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.
According to campaigners, energy-saving bulbs can also trigger migraines, exacerbate skin conditions and lead to other serious health problems.
A spokesperson for Defra admitted that there were "some exceptions" of bulbs which can be imported for specialist use.