Lights out for old bulbs from next year
Suppliers and retailers are to be asked to stop selling the power-guzzling bulbs; Friends of the Earth disappointed with regressive move
Plans for a ban on power-eating incandescent light bulbs have been scrapped in favour of a voluntary scheme to phase them out from next year.
The decision was made by environment officials who say a public consultation that closed more than a year ago found no majority public support for a mandatory approach.
Instead, they will ask light bulb suppliers and retailers to sign a charter pledging not to replenish stocks of selected bulbs from the first quarter of next year and stop selling them by the end of the year.
The decision disappointed Friends of the Earth, which says it flies in the face of international trends.
The charter will first cover incandescent light bulbs of 25 watts or above without light-concentrating reflectors. Others may be added after a review.
Officials had proposed legislation to eliminate the bulbs from the market, saying it would be faster and more effective than voluntary measures or market forces. But now they say a legal ban will take three years to introduce, including a one-year grace period, and that is too long, according to a paper submitted to lawmakers by the Environment Bureau yesterday.
Charter signatories will be required to submit sales data to the government quarterly for monitoring and display on a public website. Only if the charter fails will the government reconsider legislation, the paper said.
