Hi Light-readers! a quick news blast for something that has been in effect for near a year now, but I wanted to fill you readers in on the fact that both incandescent and halogen bulbs are now ILLEGAL to manufacture and due to that it is rare that you will find them being sold.

Consumers have mostly been left in the dark on this change, with a survey commissioned by LED manufacturer LEDvance showing that 64% of consumers were unaware of the pending ban, which is crazy! So i hope that this newsbite hits you all and gives a bit more awareness that our industry is moving towards more energy efficient and longer lasting alternatives.

Why was it banned you say? Let me tell you! This is the final stage of a European Union directive (EC 244/2009) that has progressively banned less efficient light sources, with the aim of improving energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions across the EU, starting with traditional incandescent light bulbs in 2009.

The directive is part of an ambitious Ecodesign project to improve energy efficiency across a range of domestic appliances from light bulbs to washing machines.

Halogen light bulbs fall foul of the regulations as they use much more energy than alternatives such as LEDs or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. They also have a relatively short lifespan of around 2,000 hours – approximately two years when used for around three hours per day.

Don’t fret though! LED bulbs might be a tad more expensive than your usual bulb purchases, but they can last up to 25x more than a standard halogen or incandescent, and also give the same amount of light as any halogen whilst using less energy.

We have LED bulbs available in our very own store! if you are interested please check out our own ranges here