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The parliament’s Environment, Rural and Marine Commission has unanimously approved a CiU proposal urging the government to draw up a plan to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with low-energy light bulbs within three years’ time. 

The reasons which have driven this initiative are clear. Traditional light bulbs,  as we know, have a small filament inside which, on conducting the electric current, heats up until it becomes incandescent, thus producing light. The problem is that using this technology, 90% of the energy is consumed in creating heat, and not light, a waste which when multiplied by the approximately 350 million light bulbs of this type which are estimated to still be working in Spain, can give us an idea of the large amount of energy that is wasted. 

In fact, according to data from Pere Macias, the CiU member of parliament who championed this initiative, that way total electricity consumption could be reduced by up to 3%, which would represent a reduction of approximately six and a half million tonnes of CO2 released into the atmosphere. 

This saving has two sides: on the one hand, it benefits the consumer (up to 20% of the household electricity bill comes from light bulbs), who will observe that the greater initial cost of low-energy light bulbs –around 10 euros each- is largely compensated by their lower consumption and the fact that they last longer, whilst on the other hand it benefits the electricity production system as a whole, since it reduces peaks in energy demand, which often requires power stations that only work at these specific times. 

What are the new light bulbs like?

Despite the fact that they are slowly becoming more popular, low-energy light bulbs, also known as CFL – Compact Fluorescent Lamps – are not as familiar to us the old bulbs. They also screw in, which makes them just as easy to replace and they do not require any changes to the installation. In fact, there is a website promoted by Yahoo called 18 seconds, which is the time it takes to change one. In terms of its shape, it is more varied and can be spiral-shaped, long, spherical or ring-shaped. The colour of the light that it emits can vary depending on the light bulb’s power, and can range from the whiter colours typical of the fluorescent tubes found in many kitchens, to warmer, more yellowish shades, similar to those generated by traditional light bulbs. 

Although, as stated above, they are more expensive, since they are more efficient at converting electricity into light, they can reduce energy consumption by up to 80%, which together with the fact that they last longer can represent an overall saving of 60 euros. However, along with these notable advantages, there is the odd disadvantage. When they are switched on they consume more, and they also take about  a minute to reach a suitable light intensity. It must also be taken into account that due to the fact that they contain a small amount of mercury –a highly pollutant element- they should be appropriately recycled.

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