Germany’s environment minister Sigmar Gabriel wants normal light bulbs to be
banned in the EU and energy saving lights used instead. Studies show that carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 25 million tonnes a year if both households and the services sector exchanged traditional light bulbs for energy saving lights.
Australia is leading on this and has pledged to phase out incandescent light bulbs in favour of energy efficient ones by 2010.
I have some of these energy saving lights at home and find them frustrating, slow to light up and then much dimmer than the normal light. Also, they are not available, to the best of my knowledge, for a variety of different light sockets, ie wall lights and chandeliers.
While it is excellent in theory to use energy saving light bulbs, I would like to see them designed so they are more effective. Otherwise, we will need to use more to get the same level of lighting, which defeat the whole object.
I would like to see sensor lighting systems introduced that fade or switch off when the room is unoccupied; is there anything more annoying than seeing all those office lights left on all night?
Do you use energy saving lights, what is your view about a possible ban of normal light bulbs? Does your office switch off its lights at night?
