So, energy saving lightbulbs hey…

Wednesday 12th November, 2008 - £7,408.16 in debt…

So, energy-saving lightbulbs. Not the most exciting subject to write about, you might think, and you’d be right. But today, my parents received a couple of these bulbs through the post from British Gas, and suddenly British Gas was the most considerate and forward-thinking energy supplier on the face of the planet. Obviously their PR people are reading this and rubbing their cloven hooves together with glee.

According to Act On CO2, the government-run energy initiative, a typical household can save up to £300 a year by being fuel efficient in three easy steps:

     1.  Insulating the home

     2.  Using energy-saving lightbulbs

     3.   Switching off lights and appliances when you’re not using them.

One energy-saving lightbulb can knock £60 off your electricity bill over the course of its lifetime, which could be about £5 a year but it’s still money.

Of course, It’s not just British Gas that does this - most of the UK’s energy suppliers have leapt on the same idea recently. Your energy company won’t give you enough free bulbs to fill your house, so the idea is to use them in the important rooms and high-traffic areas of your house. And use them as soon as possibe - don’t just stash them away for the next time a standard bulb blows.

And if your energy supplier loses £5 a year because you’re using your new bulbs, that’s just fine - at heart, they’re as human as the rest of us at the end of the day. They just want you to enjoy lighting your house without worrying about the bill, and they want to save the polar ice caps at the same time.

And they can always cover it by putting their charges up.