Halogen lightbulb ban to come into force across EU

Halogen lightbulbs are to be phased off shop shelves from this weekend as part of an EU-wide effort to improve energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions.

From September 1, retailers will no longer be allowed to replace stocks of the lightbulbs, which use considerably 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.

The move is the final stage of an EU directive that has progressively banned less efficient light sources starting with traditional incandescent light bulbs in 2009 and halogen GU10 spotlight bulbs in 2016.

The last phase bans non-directional halogen bulbs, including standard pear or candle-shaped lamps.

Halogen bulbs have stayed on the market until now because manufacturers argued that LEDs were not yet a viable replacement due to higher upfront costs, particularly for the brighter 60W to 100W-equivalent bulbs.

Some specialist bulbs such as those used in some ovens and cooker hoods are exempt from the ban because LED or other alternatives are not available or viable.

A government study found that UK homes have an average of 34 lights, with 10 of them (31%) being halogen.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that the typical halogen uses £11 of electricity a year while a replacement LED would only cost around £2 to use, and a halogen is likely to last for 2,000 hours compared with an LED’s 25,000 hours.