In a new press release from the UK Government, it has been announced that there will be a ban on the sale of halogen lightbulbs in this country as of September this year.
The new legislation comes as part of ‘tighter energy efficiency standards for electrical appliances’ and will see the nation follow similar regulations to the current EU ruling on the use of the bulbs.
The Government will instead encourage citizens to use more energy efficient LED bulbs, which it claims will cut around 1.26 million tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of getting over half a million cars off the country’s roads. Moreover, this could equate to savings for consumers of up to £75 a year on our energy bills. The legislation will also eventually see fluorescent lights taken off shelves by September 2023.
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Less waste and a brighter and cleaner future
The phasing out of halogen bulbs actually started in 2018, but from the 1st of September, the ban will mean we will be unable to purchase any for general household use.
Currently, the Government estimates that ‘around two-thirds’ of all bulbs sold in the UK are LEDs - which last five times longer than halogen equivalents and use around 80% less power. However, with the new ruling, the Government wants 85% of all the country’s bulbs to be LEDs by 2030, and to encourage and help people make the change, there will be new labels and ‘energy efficiency advice’ on the boxes of the bulbs.
This information will change the current A+, A++ and A+++ ratings and will instead be simplified to A-G. In addition, it will be more difficult to achieve an A rating, which the Government believes will make it easier for consumers to see which bulbs are the most environmentally friendly.
Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan welcomed the move and praised its potential to help the nation go greener: "We’re phasing out old inefficient halogen bulbs for good, so we can move more quickly to longer lasting LED bulbs, meaning less waste and a brighter and cleaner future for the UK.
"By helping ensure electrical appliances use less energy but perform just as well, we’re saving households money on their bills and helping tackle climate change."
These thoughts were echoed by the Lord Martin Callanan, the Minister for Climate Change: "Flicking the off-switch on energy inefficient light bulbs is a simple way that households can save money at the same time as saving the planet.
"Phasing out halogen bulbs in favour of LED alternatives that last longer, are just as bright and cheaper to run, is another way that we are helping tackle climate change."
More ways to save on our energy bills
The prospect of helping the planet and making savings on our energy bills is of course exciting, but there are more things you can do if you want to do both of these now.
We recently detailed a number of steps you can take to lower your energy consumption and save, but alongside switching to LED bulbs, you can also look to switch your supplier to a new, cheaper tariff.
By using an online energy comparison service, you can get a breakdown of the best energy deals in your area and will be able to see how much you can save with some of the UK’s best energy suppliers. All you need to do is fill in a few personal details and, in a matter of minutes, you could find a new tariff that may save you hundreds of pounds a year.
