Ban on selling incandescent bulbs to be effected in June

Government has announced that the ban on selling incandescent or ordinary bulbs will come into effect on 30th June, 2016.

Energy and Water Development Permanent Secretary Brigadier General Emelda Chola in a statement issued to QFM News says this follows the ban on local manufacturing and importation of incandescent bulbs and other energy inefficient lighting devices which came in effect on 1st January, 2016.

She says the ban on selling ordinary bulbs will be followed by a complete phase out of incandescent bulbs by 31st December, 2016.

General Chola explains that while ordinary bulbs convert only 5% of electrical energy into visible light, with the remaining 95% being wasted as heat energy, energy saving bulbs on the other hand save 80% of energy.

She says this has been demonstrated by the exercise embarked on by ZESCO Limited to distribute energy saving bulbs which has realized energy savings of about 94 Mega Watts, following the distribution of 1.6 million bulbs in various parts of the country at a cost of $4 million.

General Chola states that in order to successfully implement this program, Government will through ZESCO limited facilitate procurement and distribution of an additional 5 million energy saving bulbs which is expected to realize additional energy savings of about 200 Mega Watts.