Lightbulbs - making the switch
5:00AM Saturday February 24, 2007
By Simon O'Rourke
It may sound like a bright idea, but immediately replacing your entire household's lighting with energy-efficient bulbs may not be as immediately beneficial as some people might think.
While there is little doubt that New Zealand's use of old-style filament bulbs should be relegated to the dark ages, it seems rapid adoption of the new fluorescent bulbs needs to be treated with caution.
Climate Change Minister David Parker hinted as much this week when he was quizzed about a promise made by his Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull.
In what was touted a "world first", Mr Turnbull promised incandescent lights in his country would be phased out by 2010, to be replaced by energy-efficient alternatives such as compact fluorescent bulbs.
However, Mr Parker took a more reserved approach. He said that while the benefits of fluorescent lights were obvious, "I don't think there will be an immediate ban [on incandescent bulbs]."
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