FIRST IT was the 100 watt, then the 75-watt and now it’s the turn of the 60-watt incandescent bulb to disappear from shop shelves forever.
As of tomorrow the lowly bulb, like its brighter cousins will be banned under EU rules.
EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said:”They have been part of our daily life for such a long time – that it seems odd that they will disappear but from September 1 onwards, 60 watt bulbs will gradually disappear from the store shelves, as this type of bulb will be banned by EU law. Why? Edison’s light bulb, which has produced light for more than 100 years, is simply no longer the state of the art, when it comes to lighting – they just consume too much energy for the light they produce.”
He said that new lamps – with a similar light – be it an energy saving or compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) save up to 80 per cent more energy compared to the Edison style lamp and its lifetime is up to 10 times longer.
“By changing all the light bulbs, an average family can easily save 50 euro per year on their annual electricity bill, and the EU as a whole can save the yearly output of 10 power stations and 15 million tonnes per year of CO2 emissions, which is like taking seven million cars or all of the cars in the Netherlands, off the road,” added Oettinger .
He said Europe could no longer afford to waste energy.
“If we use less energy, we are less dependent on imports. And for those Member States which aim to get out of nuclear or have decided not to get into it – it is paramount to reach that goal because renewable energy on its own will not do the trick. In many ways, therefore, energy efficiency can be seen as Europe’s biggest energy resource,” the Commissioner said.
By 2020, energy consumption in the European Union should be cut by 20 percent. Phasing out light bulbs was just one part of the strategy.
But Oettinger said as things stand today, the EU would only reach 10 per cent energy efficiency in 2020 – and thus half of the target.
“It is for these reasons that the EU Commission tabled in June this year new proposals – they go well beyond private households and include public administrations, energy companies and industry,” he said.
