We all need to do our bit... Get your free energy efficient light bulbs this weekend, read below.
Ken Livingstone has launched London's first 'light bulb amnesty' - offering Londoners free, energy efficient light bulbs in exchange for old-style, energy guzzling bulbs.
If every London home switched to energy efficient light bulbs, the capital would save over 500,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and £139 million pounds a year.
London's first ‘light bulb amnesty’ will take place from Friday 11 January to Sunday 13 January, in conjunction with B&Q and British Gas. Londoners can take a traditional light bulb from their home to any of the 28 London B&Q stores and, in return, receive a free, energy efficient light bulb, provided by British Gas. A new poll undertaken by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Mayor indicates strong interest in a light bulb amnesty with nearly two thirds of respondents saying they are likely to take part in the scheme.
Each energy efficient light bulb can save households £7 a year and up to £60 over the lifetime of the bulb. Energy efficient bulbs last 12 times longer than traditional bulbs and use around 80 per cent less energy. Many households now use large numbers of bulbs meaning savings of over £100 a year are possible for those that switch to entirely energy efficient bulbs.
The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said “For those people who have made a New Year’s Resolution to go greener, taking part in London’s first light bulb amnesty is an ideal way to start. This scheme gives Londoners the chance to cut harmful emissions and save money at the same time, by swapping their old, energy guzzling light bulbs for free, energy efficient bulbs. Small lifestyle changes like this really do add up - if all homes in the capital used energy efficient bulbs, we could collectively help reduce emissions by over half a million tonnes, and save £139 million every year.”
The energy efficient light bulb campaign follows the launch of the Mayor’s Green Homes programme last December which offer Londoners practical advice to make changes to their homes and lifestyles in order to tackle climate change. These initiatives form part of the London Climate Change Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions in the capital by 60 per cent by 2025.
For more details on how to take part in the light bulb amnesty, including where your nearest B&Q store is, visit:
http://www.london.gov.uk/lightbulbs, phone 0800 512012, or text 'bulb' followed by your full postcode to 62967.
The light bulb amnesty does not include fluorescent light strips and is limited to two light bulbs per household while stocks last. The light bulbs are Philips energy efficient 11 watt bayonet cap sticks
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