Britain’s major energy suppliers support measure to phase out traditional lightbulbs
           
27th September 2007

The Energy Retail Association today signalled its support for the Government’s programme of phasing out high energy lightbulbs from most retailers from next year. The programme is also being backed by major UK retailers and aims to replace all inefficient traditional lightbulbs in shops over the next four years.

The voluntary move is part of efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from UK electricity generation by up to 5 million tonnes per year by 2012, and has been launched today by Climate Change Minister, Joan Ruddock.

Energy suppliers have already committed to install a range of energy efficiency measures as part of the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) scheme during the period 2008-2011. The scheme promotes innovative energy efficiency measures, such as microgeneration and other ways of reducing the consumption of supplied energy.

Duncan Sedgwick, chief executive of the Energy Retail Association, commented:

“Britain’s major energy suppliers welcome this move and are committed to distributing up to 65 million low energy light bulbs – with the potential saving of 2.53 million tonnes of carbon – to households across the country over the next three years as part of their wider energy efficiency activities. This is in addition to the 43 million low energy light bulbs that they have already distributed through their current energy efficiency commitment.

A quarter of all carbon emissions come from our homes. Changing your lightbulbs is a cheap and easy way to start taking control of your energy use. You can save money too if you insulate your home properly and only heat and light the rooms you are using.”
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Notes to editors

The Energy Retail Association (ERA), formed in 2003, represents Britain's domestic electricity and gas suppliers in the domestic market in Great Britain. All the main energy suppliers operating in the residential market in Great Britain are members of the association - British Gas, EDF Energy, npower, Powergen, Scottish Power, and Scottish and Southern Energy.

Further information on the Defra announcement can be found on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk.

Further information on the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) and the energy industry’s position on the scheme can be found on the ERA’s website, at: www.energy-retail.org.uk/energyefficiency.

For further information, please contact:

Claire Gibson / Press Officer
Nicola Bowles / Head of Communications & Media Relations
020 7747 5432 / 020 7930 9181