Spare a moment,please,for the incandescent bulb.Across Europe,the flickering,energy-hogging lighting source was finally turned off this weekend,as a multi-stage EU directive phasing out sale of the bulbs finally banned retailers from distributing the 40W and 25W bulbs.From now on,if you want to light your home,it's CFL,halogen or LED for you.
The restrictions-which started in September 2009 with outlaws on the sale of 100W incandescent bulbs-has been met with pockets of resistance up until now,but the projected energy saving across Europe is expected to see 39 terawatt-hours of electricity saved annually by the year 2020.But now the ban has finally phased out low-energy versions of the traditional bulbs,uptake of more eco-friendly alternatives is expected to rise.
"The phase-out has been very smooth,"said the Lighting Industry Association's Peter Hunt."Concerns about poor performance of replacement bulbs have been proved wrong.The new LED replacements for halogen downlighters that have come on to the market over the past year work just as well,for example.Price is still a barrier,but that's coming down almost daily as volume increases."
Price is,however,still a deciding factor for many homes who choose between compact fluorescent lamps(CFL)and LED bathroom lights.A recent study in the US by Consumer Reports found that,of the 90 per cent of respondents who had already made the switch to energy-saving lighting,75 per cent opted for CFL over LED.And the main reason?The cheaper immediate pricing point.
But if you're thinking of kitting your home out with new lighting and you're leaning towards CFL,think again.As the Huffington Post's green correspondent Matt Hickman notes,CFL might offer an immediate saving,but over the course of the life of your bulbs,LEDs win out.And the price is coming down by the day.
"LEDs offer superior light quality,efficiency and boast decades-long life spans,"he said."Plus,LEDs are mercury-free,don't require time to warm up,and are often omni-directional."
