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.
Comments
a bulb of 7 Watt = 1,2 W LED =50 LUMEN
25 W = 2 W =200 LM
40 W = 6 W =400 LM
60 W =13 W =700 LM
75 W =10 W =900 LM
Extra white led = < 2700 Kelvin
Warm white led = 3000 to 3200 Kelvin
Neutral white led= 5000 Kelvin
Cold white led = 6400 to < 8000 Kelvin
But there is more: for calculating the most cost effective leds and their electricity consumption one must calculate the angle of the illumination needed by each object or room one want to illuminate with leds. For that see Google or Wikipedia.
The truth is LED bulbs do not geneally last 5 to 10X longer. Some might, but people will inevetibly be attracted to cheaper ones which are unlikely to last much longer than an equivalent GLS bulb costing a fraction of the cost. LED's do not run on 230V so some electronic circuitry is used to drop the voltage within the bulb housing, and it is this part that often fails.
There are also suggestions that the light from LED's is less than healthy. Even though the output appears 'warm' to the human eye, there are parts of the spectrum (of natural or incandescent) light missing which may cause eye health issues.
Any cost-savings on energy will go to the Chinese makers of these things and possibly opthalmologists in the future - with interest.