Since the introduction of EU rules to curb their use and encourage much-criticised ‘energy-saving’ alternatives, the popular pearl bulb, known for its soft sheen and mellow glow, has become the scarcest of all.
One woman was so desperate to find the old-style bulbs that she is said to have spent £7,000 on them in a single shopping trip.
Dim view: Low-energy bulbs, left, are replacing old-style ones
In some cases, the cost of a low-energy equivalent to a pearl bulb has soared by more than 150 per cent in a year. And the bad news is that finding a traditional bulb is set to become even more difficult.
The EU legislation in 2009 made it illegal to make pearl bulbs in the UK or import them from abroad, leading to the scarcity. Clear bulbs, however, escaped the ban because energysaving bulbs fail to reproduce the dazzling light they emit.
But under a voluntary agreement which came into effect this month, chains including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, B&Q and Asda have agreed to stop selling traditional bulbs altogether.
This will potentially leave the few remaining traditional bulbs being sold only by small shops at prices almost three times the 90p they cost before the restrictions came in.
To highlight the confusion in the market, The Mail on Sunday took a 40W and 60W old-style pearl bulb to ten retailers and asked for the closest possible low-energy replacement.
The Mail on Sunday took a 40W and 60W old-style pearl light bulb to major retailers and asked for the closest possible low-energy replacement. This replicated a study we carried out last February, allowing us to calculate the price changes made by the retailers during 2011. Dramatic price changes can be due to the retailer introducing a new model of energy-saving light bulb during the period between the two surveys. Here is a snapshot of our findings
Asked to explain the increase, a Tesco spokesman said only: ‘We have a wide range of energy-saving light bulbs.’ Homebase and Ikea have doubled the price of their 40W alternatives, and John Lewis’s 60W equivalent is up from £1.50 to £3.99. Elsewhere, however, there were price falls. B&Q’s 60W low-energy alternative has dropped from £10.28 to £3.98.
To further confound consumers, four retailers were last week still selling old-style bulbs despite having signed up to the voluntary ban.
Tesco and Morrisons had 60W bulbs on their shelves, and Sainsbury’s and Homebase were selling 40W bulbs.
When asked for an explanation, Sainsbury’s and Homebase said they would immediately remove the bulbs, Morrisons said it would continue
selling them until stock ran out, and Tesco failed to comment.
Asda was also still selling traditional bulbs, but it appeared to be exploiting a loophole allowing them to be sold for trade. Its packaging said the bulbs were ‘not suitable for household room illumination’ – despite being the same shape, size and wattage as a traditional household bulb.
The British Retail Consortium said the reluctance to implement the voluntary agreement may be because low-energy bulb technology has
not progressed at the expected pace.
Critics say the bulbs do not fit inside lamps and emit a flickering light.
One company which refused to sign up to the agreement is Ryness electrical stores in London, which sells traditional bulbs for £2.20. Shop manager Gary Deller said: ‘People have been buying traditional bulbs by the thousand so the next generation can continue to enjoy the same sparkly light. There isn’t a black market in the old-style bulbs yet but it could emerge as stocks dwindle.’
From the results of The Mail on Sunday’s latest survey, it is clear that some stores have failed to fulfil promises to improve.
Asda has failed to provide an energy-efficient 40W alternative bulb despite vowing to make changes. Yesterday the supermarket said: ‘We stock a wide range of energy-saving light bulbs that meet the demands of our customers, and we’ll always look to introduce new products in line with their demands.’
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