NewNet News - GF Electrical condemns EU’s energy-efficient light bulb legislation

GF Electrical condemns EU’s energy-efficient light bulb legislation

1 Sep 2009

As the EU is set to start phasing out power-heavy light bulbs in favour of more energy efficient ones, Gary Fisher, manager of UK-based GF Electrical, argues that the move will lead to serious problems.

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Tags: energy efficiency

3 Responses to “GF Electrical condemns EU’s energy-efficient light bulb legislation”

Brian Dancer says:

3 September 2009 at 4:59 pm

I agree that there are real problems with this law and it should not have been passed. That said, I have found CFL bulbs to be cost effective, even when considering the recycling fee to safely get rid of them. The energy costs saved by using less electricity along with the long life time way more than make up for the initial expense and the recycling expense.
Alf Niemiro says:

4 September 2009 at 2:32 pm

The phase out of traditional bulbs was inevitable given the fact that we’ve had the same design of Edisons for over a 120 years. Look how much technology has changed in just the last 10 !. I can’t help thinking this EU legislation has jumped on the climate change bandwagon though. I work in retail and the view of the general public is one of “it’s us having to change again where others stay the same”. Here we are in Europe changing bulbs to combat climate change whilst large factories in China still burn coal !!. Perhaps if we got the whole world singing from the same hymn sheet first.
peter in dublin says:

10 September 2009 at 2:12 pm

I agree with Gary Fisher..
the ban makes no sense

A cheap simple popular safe product forcibly replaced by an expensive complex unpopular mercury-releasing product

if people actually did want to buy the new lights,
you wouldn’t “have to” ban ordinary light bulbs with “great savings” for the people
(European Commission’s own research 2007-8 showed ordinary light bulbs to be chosen around 9 times out of 10)

The eventual savings, once all factors are considered, hardly justify this exercise anyway:
http://www.ceolas.net/#li13x onwards, with official research references.

The real motive can be seen by the unpublicised EU and industrial politics behind the ban:
http://www.ceolas.net/#li1ax