Light Bulb Ban! The Facts

Recently, a lot has been reported in the media regarding the banning of certain types of light bulbs; not all of the information has been correct and much has been ambiguous. ABM has been inundated with questions, asking to clarify exactly what is happening.
Below are the most FAQ’s regarding the forthcoming lighting ban.

When will the ban come into effect?
The ban will commence on 1st September 2009.

What bulbs are being banned?
All pearl bulbs, regardless of their wattage, and all clear bulbs over 60 watts will be affected.
In general, if a there is a low energy alternative/replacement for an incandescent bulb, the incandescent will be affected.

Am I still allowed to buy and use traditional incandescent bulbs?
YES! The ban does not affect the purchasing or usage of the “Banned” bulb. The ban only stops production and importation. Current stocks and supplies can continue to be sold but once the supply has been exhausted they can not be replenished.

Aren’t Low Energy Bulbs extremely expensive?
The prices of energy saving light bulbs have come down in recent times – and are now available for as little as £0.69 Philips 11W BC (from ABM) and because they use up to 80% less energy they will lower your electricity bills. Low energy bulbs can also last up to 16x that of traditional bulbs, so hour for hour, low energy bulbs usually cost less.

Low Energy bulbs contain mercury how should I dispose of them?
They should be disposed of at designated recycling bins. Your local Council can provide information of the locations in your area.

Low Energy Bulbs offer inferior light quality, don’t they?
Choose the correct replacement and an energy saving light bulb will give the same lumen output as a traditional incandescent. The colour rendering of an energy saving bulb is about 85% of that of an incandescent, but technology is continuously being developed to close this small gap.

Lots of my lights have dimmer switches. Can I fit them with energy saving bulbs?
Although most energy saving bulbs are not fully compatible with dimmer switches, ABM offers a range of fully dimmable low energy bulbs which work exactly like traditional bulbs.

Many shops, electrical suppliers and supermarkets have already run out of stock of the Banned Bulbs, where can I continue to buy them from?
ABM has secured a large stock of the banned bulbs, so will continue to sell them, for the foreseeable future. The only restriction on the purchase of these bulbs is consumers are limited to buying 200 of each type of bulb, per order.