My friend Rose rang yesterday, practically hysterical, with the alarming news that all our light bulbs have to be changed, growls Mrs. M. Like her, I feel angry and over-whelmed by the cost and nuisance of changing bulbs, fittings and shades. It takes a life time to get your lamps looking right, and now some 'well-meaning dictator' has decided we should change it all.
When you consider that the 3rd run-way at Heathrow (with all its' giant carbon foot prints) has been given the go-ahead, it seems absurd that we have to put up with all the hassle of changing our bulbs. The new bulbs look horrid, like you would see at a warehouse or Asda car park. Also, halogen bulbs give off a very unfriendly and unflattering blue-ish glow.
Rose says the answer is to stock-pile 100s and 60-watt bulbs by the dozens. The thought of changing the fittings and shades is doubly upsetting, as shades cost a fortune and finding someone to change fittings is difficult. Apparently you can't buy 60s and 100s any more. My son and I tired to find these at Asda the other day, and there were none on the shelves. This was before we realized these bulbs simply aren't for sale anymore.
Rose says the Government think housewives are a ‘soft target' so they sneak in this legislation as we're unlikely to picket shops and revolt the way the anti-runway lobby has. But really, who can tolerate this kind of inconvenience?
If the Government want us to buy low energy bulbs, fine. Just make them look like and fit our existing fittings and work with our shades. Why can't this be done? Then we could accept the additional cost, without having to put up with hassle. Rose warned that I should act quickly, or else buy the bulbs on the Continent where they don't change over until 2012. Who wants to drive to Calais to buy light bulbs?
Okay, we're all for saving energy and the Planet. The onus should be on the Government to encourage the bulb industry to produce a user-friendly product which conforms to existing lamp accessories.
As Rose says, we live in a dictatorship. It seems we do.
