In a shift towards a cleaner future, halogen light bulbs are to be banned in Britain from September 2021 and replaced with LED light bulbs.
As part of the government’s efforts to combat climate change, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has revealed today that halogen light bulbs will be removed from shelves as of this September.
The legislation being brought forward this month also incorporates ending the sale of fluorescent light bulbs by September 2023.
Currently, approximately two thirds of light bulbs sold in Britain are LED, which has a profound impact on energy efficiency in Britain as they last five times longer than conventional halogen light bulbs, generate the same amount of light, and use up to 80% less power.
The UK started phasing out the sale of higher-energy halogen light bulbs in 2018. The new legislation would mean stores will not be allowed to sell most halogen bulbs for general household use in the UK from 1 September.
In order to facilitate this shift, the government has also stated that all light bulbs will begin to feature new energy efficiency advice via ‘rescaled’ energy labels on their boxes. The labels will simplify the way energy efficiency is displayed on a new scale from A-G, eliminating the A+, A++ or A+++ ratings. The new labels will raise the bar for each class, meaning very few bulbs will now be classified as A, helping consumers to choose the most environmentally friendly bulbs.
It is anticipated that the new legislation will result in LED light bulbs becoming 85% of all light bulbs sold in the UK by 2030.
This further turn towards LED light bulbs is expected to cut 1.26 million tonnes of CO2 from being emitted each year, which is the equivalent of eliminating over half a million cars from Britain’s roads.
The shift is part of a package of energy efficiency improvements to electrical appliances, which should save consumers around £75 a year on energy bills.
Energy Minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, commented: “We’re phasing out old inefficient halogen bulbs for good, so we can move more quickly to longer lasting LED bulbs, meaning less waste and a brighter and cleaner future for the UK.
“By helping ensure electrical appliances use less energy but perform just as well, we’re saving households money on their bills and helping tackle climate change.”
Minister for Climate Change, Lord Martin Callanan, added: “Flicking the off-switch on energy inefficient light bulbs is a simple way that households can save money at the same time as saving the planet.
“Phasing out halogen bulbs in favour of LED alternatives that last longer, are just as bright and cheaper to run, is another way that we are helping tackle climate change.”
