The classic incandescent type of lightbulbs should not be available across Europe from September 1st as the European Union’s ban on halogen bulbs took effect on Saturday.
Shops can sell off their current stocks of halogen bulbs but will not be able to buy more.
The ban is on the standard halogen bulbs, such as the standard pear shaped-ones, but does not include special types such as spotlights and incandescent lightbulbs found, for example, in desk lamps and floodlights.
The public was given a two-year changeover period after the 2009 law was published. This gap was to allow time to switch to low energy LED bulbs which are as ‘greener’ alternative to halogen bulbs as they "tend to last five to ten times longer than halogen lightbulbs and use much less energy, making the consumer savings, substantial," read the EC official statement.
A 2013 EU study found that switching from an average halogen lightbulb to a LED one would save approximately €115 over the bulb's lifetime and pay-back its cost within a year.
The same study found that implementing the ban at EU level would bring annual energy savings corresponding to five years’ electricity consumption in Portugal - a reduction of 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
Brussels also said that there will be less waste as LED bulbs last longer and many of the newer types are recyclable.
