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              A campaign to save money and help the environment by using energy efficient light bulbs

Friday, October 06, 2006


Making the switch...
Ban The Bulb would like to encourage a debate which explored how a large share of the public could be encouraged to stop using old, familiar technologies (which use energy in a profligate fashion) and to start using newer, more efficient technologies which have never been used in large numbers and thereby become cheap to buy.

Will McNeill has been in touch with an idea which takes advantage of the cheaper running costs ofCFLs and LED light bulbs...

His idea would be for all electricity providers to be required to send each household 10 energy saving light bulbs.

The electricity providers could claim back the costs of providing these bulbs over the course of 12 months, as an appendage to the household's bill. The yearly costs to the household, however, wouldn't rise because they would be using less electricity.

Over the coming years the household would save money, and reduce the carbon emissions.

The scheme could be either'opt-in' (weak) or 'opt-out' (strong).

It would have the following benefits:

(1) Lower the costs of CFLs due to the huge buying power of the electricity providers.
(2) Lower the inertia level of switching to CFLs
(3) Reduce the difficulties of moving to the new technology for those onlower incomes

The problem with 'stick' methods (taxing incandescents, for instance) is precisely the fact it puts a basic need further out of reach of those leastable to pay for it.



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