Beware "Rough Service" Incandescent Light Bulbs!

Most governments around the world have now taken steps to ban the import and sale of old fashioned incandescent light bulbs. Even China, where most of the manufacturing has taken place recently, has already banned some and is planning to phase them all out from October 2016. Here in the UK, there is now a ban on all traditional incandescent types over 25 Watts.

Despite its apparent unpopularity, the reason for the ban is plain to see – these bulbs consume far too much energy for the earth’s eco-systems, and replacing them with low-energy alternatives like compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or LED based bulbs will cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce global warming. It really is a no-brainer:  each old-style bulb converts most of its consumed energy to heat, not light, and by replacing just ten incandescent bulbs in one average sized residence with low energy types can save the emission of about a quarter ton of carbon dioxide each year at the power station.

Earlier this year, the UK government confirmed that the ban would bring an "average annual net benefit" of £108m to the UK between 2010 and 2020 in energy savings. And the UK’s Energy Saving Trust states that fitting a single energy-saving bulb can save on average £3 a year and that by replacing all their traditional light bulbs householders could save £55 a year.

In taking the decision to ban incandescent bulbs, governments around the world have been well advised by the planet’s best scientific experts, among whom there is absolutely no disagreement.  This isn't a trivial passing 'fad', nor an assault on civil liberty (which is claimed by die hard eco-sceptics), but a serious attempt to address the world's climate change and pollution problems. People who insist on stockpiling traditional bulbs, or resorting to ‘black-market’ sources, are demonstrating gross selfishness and complete disregard for the ecological challenges the international community is trying its best to avoid.

One sign that selfish users in the UK are determined to undermine these global efforts is that some high street and Internet retailers appear to have found a loophole which allows them to get around the new rules. They are offering so-called “rough-service” incandescent bulbs, which look almost identical to the bulbs that have now been outlawed. However, what is not being made clear is that these bulbs are specially manufactured for industrial use, and while they may be specially toughened to withstand the knocks and vibrations of industrial environments, they are in most ways far inferior to the old “domestic” types.

While some irresponsible retailers are fudging the issue and claiming that these bulbs are suitable for domestic use, consumers should be aware that they are clearly marked as ‘not suitable for household room illumination’ for good reasons, and this warning should be heeded.

•  ·         Genuine rough service lamps are built for industrial applications and so cost considerably more than domestic incandescent light bulbs used to.

• ·         They also cost much more to run (almost twice as much in some cases) than energy efficient replacements.
• ·         Because of their design, they produce a lower level of light than an equivalent household incandescent lamp.
• ·         Household insurance policies could well be invalidated should one or more of these lamps be used in the house.

The National Measurement Office, the UK government agency responsible for enforcing the ban on traditional bulbs, has specifically warned householders against buying rough-service bulbs. An official guidance paper states:

 “Whilst all the major retail outlets market special purpose lamps very differently from those used for household illumination, there are a growing number of websites and other forms of distance marketing which do not make such a distinction.”

“Consumers should ensure that they do not use special purpose/rough service lamps for household room illumination as they are declared by the manufacturer as unsuitable for this purpose. Consideration should be given to the terms and conditions of any household insurance policy if such lamps are used for illuminating your house.”

The message is clear....

Caveat Emptor – Let The Buyer Beware!

Throwing Light on Migraine Triggers

Migraine is a truly global phenomenon. European and American studies for the World Health Organisation have shown that 6-8% of men and 15-18% of women experience migraine each year and it is estimated that 14% of the adults in Europe are affected by the affliction. In the UK the condition currently affects around 9 million people (about 14% of the population). Some migraines are triggered by lighting effects, such as flickering or point sources, colour variations and others.

There have been a number of anecdotal reports in both printed and online form of migraines triggered by Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). However, there have to date been no large scale clinical or scientific studies to determine exactly how widespread the phenomenon is, or what the root cause of such triggers could be. An authoritative report by the Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE) in 2009 confirmed that robust research had at that time been inadequate globally, and that various anecdotally reported health problems had not been followed up scientifically.

Now some light may have been shed on the nature of these “CFL Triggers”. Major CFL manufacturer Megaman has recently been involved with an informal project to study the effects of these lamps on migraine sufferers with light sensitivity issues. And the project has thrown up some unexpected results which could help migraine sufferers to select low energy lighting products which minimise the number and severity of attacks.

The joint project, using specially selected Megaman CFLs, and a panel of volunteers from the UK charity Migraine Action, has concluded that products with certain colour temperatures could be more beneficial to migraine sufferers, and that larger bulbs (i.e. those with less ‘glare’) are probably better than smaller, more intense light sources.

While the lamp trials were informal,  and involved only 25 volunteers, the results turned up some unexpected results. For instance:

·         >>A standard ‘GLS’ traditionally shaped bulb of colour temperature 2700K resulted in fewer ‘triggers’ than other types tested.

·         >>Both warmer and cooler colour temperatures than 2700K (e.g. 2400K, 4000K and 6500K) triggered more attacks.

·         >>4000K bulb types caused most attacks.

·        >> A small diameter ‘globe type triggered more attacks than a larger, more powerful type  indicating that glare or intensity of the light source may also be a factor.

·         The range of colour temperatures tested would seem to represent the limits of practical application, as a number of participants viewed 2300K types as “too dim” and 6500K types as “too bright” or “too intense”.

The trials do seem to have identified key CFL characteristics which may be less likely to trigger attacks in certain migraine sufferers. So further investigation now seems worthwhile, leading hopefully to a range of ‘low trigger’ products available specifically for light sensitive users.

A copy of the full Lamp Trial Report (PDF Format) can be downloaded HERE

You can reduce soaring electricity bills simply by changing your light bulbs

Despite recent well publicised reductions in gas prices, the average combined electricity and gas bill for UK households has increased by around £57 since last year – reflecting a massive increase in the cost of electricity alone. And currently, more British homeowners than ever are now in the grip of fuel poverty (if you spend more than 10% of your income on fuel bills you are classed as ‘fuel poor’).

With the coldest winter in the UK for 31 years just experienced, the bills for around half of the UK population are being sent out now and it may be quite a shock to many to see their average energy bill having risen by around 10% for the last cold quarter alone. Looking at electricity alone, according to DECC (the UK Department of Environment & Climate Change), provisional 2011 statistics show that the average UK electricity bill (across all payment types) rose last year by £38 to £455 – over 8%.

The really depressing part is that this is not a new trend. Since 2004 there have been sustained rises in the price charged to homeowners by all the major energy companies. According to AMDEA (the UK trade association for manufacturers of domestic appliances) between 2005 and 2009 the UK price of domestic electricity nearly doubled from 7p per unit to over 13p per unit. That’s an average of 17% for each year. To put this into context, we can simply summarise by saying that domestic electricity prices have actually doubled since 2004, and the trend is continuing.

Even the government recognises that there have been “sustained price rises” for consumers over the past 6 years (a comment made by junior energy minister David Kidney recently) but they believe a referral to the competition commission would “delay investment in UK infrastructure”. In political language this means the government is not going to do much about it.

So what can you do about it if your electricity bills are sky-rocketing ?

The answer has two elements: your pricing and your consumption.

You can possibly get a better pricing deal by shopping around the energy suppliers (it is generally accepted that consumers who shop around do get better deals) and it is certainly an exercise well worth the effort.

The second way forward is to reduce your domestic energy consumption by making sure that all appliances and lamps are energy efficient, and by using them sparingly. Probably the easiest and cheapest step to take of all (and one that pays immediate benefits) is simply to change your light bulbs.

To get a handle on potential savings, let’s look at the lighting requirements of “an average house”. Assuming that there are about 24 lighting points and lamps in an average house, if they were each using one 60 Watt incandescent bulb (the ubiquitous common light bulb), that’s a total power consumption of 1440 Watts overall. If those lamps were used only for an average of four hours every day, that’s 5.76 kilowatt hours (i.e. 5.76 units of electricity) daily.

Over a year that works out (allowing for some holidays and summer-time reductions) at around 1730 units annually, which at a current cost of around 10p equates to about £173.

· By switching to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) you would save up to 80%, i.e. your lighting bills could reduce from £173 to £35

· By switching to LED based bulbs, you could save up to 90%, i.e. your lighting bills could reduce from £173 to £18

• These sums certainly make economic sense, but there are also some additional benefits…..
• Low energy bulbs last much longer than obsolete incandescent types - up to 15 times longer.
• You’ll also be helping the environment by reducing CO2 emissions at the generating plant
• Modern low energy lamps can be dimmed using standard dimming circuits
• They don’t get hot like incandescent bulbs, so are much less of a safety/fire risk

This would appear to be a ‘no-brainer’. Simply replace your old energy guzzling light bulbs with new low-energy types and you’ll start reducing electricity bills right away!

About Megaman and our low energy lighting solutions:

Megaman is a global brand in high-performance, energy-efficient lighting and an innovative leader in LED and CFL lamp design. Our company has won a range of international energy and environmental awards, which here in the UK includes The Energy Efficiency Recommended label issued by The Energy Saving Trust. Similar awards have been made in Europe and the Far East.

Check us and our partners out at: www.megamanuk.com

SuperHomes to inspire your eco makeover - with Megaman

Pioneering owners of more than 60 of the UK’s most energy efficient SuperHomes will be hosting free open days and tours between Saturday 17th March and Sunday 25th March 2012. The houses are packed with energy saving ideas and information on techniques and costs will be freely available to visitors. Most of the homes feature energy saving lamps and light bulbs supplied by Megaman.

SuperHomes are older homes that have been renovated by their owners to reduce carbon emissions by at least 60%. These are real homes owned by real people who have made a major commitment to reduce their carbon emissions. They are often accessible to the public, and at Open Days the owners share the benefits and challenges involved in making these dramatic changes.

Megaman is the principal lighting sponsor of the SuperHomes Network and Megaman-based energy saving lighting product are found throughout the properties. These include both CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) and LED (light emitting diode) solutions. All of these products are available through a nation-wide network of wholesalers, retailers and Internet suppliers. Full details at: http://www.megamanuk.com/where-to-buy/

The SuperHomes initiative is being led by The Sustainable Energy Academy (SEA), whose Chairman John Doggart,said: “Megaman UK has sponsored us right from the start and this has really helped the network grow in size and effectiveness. As a result we have a total of 115 SuperHomes covering 85% of the UK. So we’re really grateful to Megaman for supporting our long term vision.”

For more information on SuperHomes, SEA, or to book onto a tour, visit the SuperHomes website.

For more information about Megaman low energy lighting products, visit Megaman UK Ltd

Megaman CFLs: They really have no nasty emissions

View our 'Farting Lightbulbs video at:

http://youtu.be/sLgxgieAtXw

Unlike many cheaper, less sophisticated products in the low energy lighting market, Megaman CFLs are recognised internationally as being technically advanced, energy efficient, creating no harmful emissions, and having virtually no toxic contents. This uniquely safe product portfolio is a direct result of huge research and development programmes which bring the latest techniques and materials to both manufacturing processes and end products.

There has been much anecdotal discussion, mainly online and in the media, concerning the alleged health hazards caused by toxic and electromagnetic emissions from CFLs. Megaman products are almost universally free of such hazards.

Often debated apparent hazards of CFLs have included:

Mercury Emissions

Mercury in various solid and liquid forms has to be used to make all mercury discharge lights work properly (including CFLs and fluorescent tubes). This toxic element has been present in significant quantities in the common fluorescent strip lights used in offices, shops and public buildings for decades. But it is undeniably a highly hazardous substance in liquid or vapour form, leading to concerns about harmful emissions when lamps get broken, or when disposed of to land fill.

Megaman CFLs contain no mercury in its dangerous liquid form, but use it in a totally safe solid amalgam combined with other elements. Laboratory test have confirmed that Megaman bulbs release no toxic liquid mercury to the atmosphere when broken, and are environmentally safe when recycled, posing no danger to domestic users or recycling personnel.

VOCs

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a group of substances which include phenol, styrene, naphthalene and ethanol, which in large quantities can be harmful to health and contribute to the global greenhouse effect. VOCs are present in virtually all electrical and electronic equipment in use today, including TVs, computers, mobile phones, HiFi, and any product using printed circuit technology. Using ANY equipment of this kind can result in minute emissions of VOCs, in proportions which can effectively be discounted as being hazardous

Megaman recently commissioned independent laboratories to test its CFL products, to investigate whether phenol and other VOCs are released during lamp operation. The tests were conducted in accordance with the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA). The results showed that no phenol, styrol, kresol, bromphenol, naphthalene, styrene or other VOCs were released from Megaman lamps during normal use or recycling.

Light and Electromagnetic Radiation issues

A relatively small number of people are affected medically by certain types of light, flickering light or electromagnetic radiation, whatever the source of that radiation. Such sufferers can be affected by sunlight, fluorescent tubes, strobe lighting or simply by the magnetic effects of large-scale electric machinery or even television sets. Distressing conditions which can be exacerbated can include Lupus, Migraine or even Autism.

When the first energy saving lamps (for example straight fluorescent tubes) were originally introduced, they operated at mains frequency. This caused problems for people who were especially sensitive to flickering light. However, while some highly sensitive sufferers are still vulnerable to even the smallest trigger, much of the problem has now been resolved. All Megaman CFLs operate at high frequency, reducing flicker to less than would be experienced by watching a computer monitor or TV. iPad or Smart Phone.

In terms of ultraviolet, infra-red or electromagnetic radiation, all Megaman products have been laboratory tested and certified to be well within internationally agreed standards – in facts for most types of radiation, emissions are virtually negligible.

For these reasons, Megaman believes that its low energy lighting products are demonstrably more advanced than comparable competitive products, and represent a benchmark for future safety standards in the industry.

The company’s new “No Emissions” viral video seeks to deliver this message to audiences in a humorous and memorable way.

Check it out at:

http://youtu.be/sLgxgieAtXw