Shops will no longer be allowed to replace stocks of halogen bulbs

Halogen lightbulbs are to be phased out from this weekend as part of EU efforts to improve energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions.

From tomorrow, shops will no longer be allowed to replace stocks of halogen bulbs. LED bulbs are at least twice as costly, but advocates argue they are better value because they use a fraction of the electricity and have a much longer lifespan of up to 15 years.

Halogen bulbs, in comparison, have a lifespan of around two years.

The move is the final stage of an EU ban that has seen traditional incandescent lightbulbs and halogen GU10 spotlight bulbs outlawed.

The last phase bans most other halogen bulbs – but specialist bulbs such as those in some ovens and cooker hoods will still be allowed as alternatives are not yet available.

Halogen bulbs, like the one pictured, have stayed on the market until now because manufacturers argued the initial outlay for LEDs was too expensive, particularly for brighter 60W to 100W-equivalent bulbs.

Buying new bulbs for the 34 lights in a typical home would cost £68 if they were halogen, but doing the same with LEDs is likely to be closer to £150.

However, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that the typical halogen bulb uses £11 of electricity a year while a replacement LED would only cost around £2.

Stewart Muir, of the trust, said: ‘They were first patented for commercial use in 1959, so they’ve been showing their age for a while – mostly by inflating your energy bill.’ Greenpeace UK chief scientist Doug Parr added: ‘Shifting away from wasteful halogens and creating a new market for cleaner, more efficient LED lightbulbs, saving people money in the process, was a valuable role of the EU in driving up environmental standards.’

A Government spokesman said the move would save households £100 a year from 2020. The spokesman added EU regulations will continue to be implemented until the UK leaves. It is not known if the ban will stay in place after Brexit.