Better light with less energy

 

Working to cut UK carbon emissions, it’s easy to forget the effect that moves on the continent have on making our homes greener.

We’re ahead of the game in phasing out old, inefficient light bulbs, thanks to a voluntary agreement between UK retailers that they will stop selling standard bulbs in line with an agreed timetable.

But for those lagging behind, the EU has produced a new cartoon extolling the virtues of the latest generation of energy efficient lighting in line with its compulsory phase-out.

While it would be sensible to take the ‘buy bulbs – turn into superhero’ message with a note of caution, it seems an excellent way of eliciting a bit of parental pester power from energy-aware children. After all, modern energy saving light bulbs last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £45 over the lifetime of the bulb.