As the drive to get rid of the old fashioned light bulb we have known, loved and used without a second thought for decades picks up speed, it appears that we may have a problem. And this is a problem which we may only now start to realise the true extent of.
You see, there have been several news reports and articles recently which have shed some light (pardon the pun) on a disturbing fact about these great energy saving saviours. It would appear that they aren’t actually capable of fitting some of the many lamps and light fittings that are in all types of British homes.
In theory the new bulbs do save a lot more energy, and will cost you a lot less money over time as well. And they may in fact last longer than you might think – especially if you buy them and can’t get them to fit into any of your light fittings.
Apparently they are totally unsuitable for chandeliers, for example. Now while most of us probably aren’t standing beneath a chandelier in our homes, wondering how on earth we are going to get light to it now, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is, no one – including the British government – seems to know just how big that iceberg actually is.
A few years ago it was revealed that some 50% of sockets wouldn’t be able to take the new light bulbs. That figure has no doubt shrunk since then, but we can be sure that the lighting industry will enjoy a surge in activity as everyone discovers the limitations of their chosen light fittings. Once our trusted old style bulbs wink out for the last time, it will be time to hit the shops and buy a new light fitting that we didn’t want or need, just so that we can continue to see what we’re doing.
Most people seem to be quite encouraged by the idea of reducing their energy bills and the cost of constantly buying those old light bulbs. And of course the environment will benefit too. But how many of those people will still be enthusiastic if they discover they are among the unlucky ones whose lights won’t work any more?
It’s small wonder that a scene that no one thought they would ever see has been witnessed up and down the country in recent weeks. That scene involves queues of people buying up all the light bulbs they can find, to put off the inevitable day when energy saving bulbs are the only option – and some of their lights will have to go.
It will be interesting to see how the lighting industry does on sales when you can no longer buy the old bulbs. And with panic buying on this scale going on, that might be a lot sooner than we thought.
So check those light fittings, and keep your fingers crossed you are one of the lucky ones who won’t have to buy compatible lights.