The sale of inefficient lightbulbs will be banned in South Africa starting on 23 May. (Thana Prasongsin/Getty Images)
- The energy efficiency standard for lightbulbs is going to be raised next week, ruling out traditional incandescent lights, which fall way below the standards.
- The sale of regular fluorescent (CFL) and incandescent light bulbs for general household use will effectively be banned, though this will only kick in fully at year-end.
- Most LED lights will be efficient enough to remain on sale.
- For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page.
A ban on the sale of inefficient lightbulbs will start being implemented next week, which will effectively prevent the sale of regular fluorescent (CFL) and incandescent light bulbs for general household use.
On 24 May last year, the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (dtic) published a Government Gazette setting a new high standard for lightbulb energy efficiency, that will start coming into effect 12 months from the publication of the notice.
Under the new rules, it will be illegal to sell lamps with an efficiency rating of less than 90 lumens per watt (Lm/W) for general household use.
READ | Sale of inefficient lightbulbs set to be banned in South Africa
A lumen is a measure of visible light, and a watt is a measure of electrical power. The regulation requires that a general household light must be efficient in its use of electrical power.
According to an Eskom lighting brochure, incandescent lights, which work by heating a filament until it glows, typically have a Lm/W rating of between 6 and 24, well below the new standards.
CFL lightbulbs, which produce light by heating argon and mercury in a tube, have an expected Lm/W rating of between 40 and 80 Lm/W, which is also too inefficient for the new standard.
That leaves light emitting diodes (LEDs) as the only mainstream lighting option that will definitely remain in play. LEDs work by converting electricity directly into light when a current passes through a microchip. The Eskom brochure claims that LEDs have an efficiency rating between 90 and 150 Lm/W.
Historically, LEDs have had a higher initial cost than other standard lightbulbs, but the energy savings and longer lifespan of LEDs, when compared to alternatives, mean that LEDs have a lower total cost of ownership.
The dtic notice does not explicitly ban incandescent and CFL lights, but the new energy standard will effectively prohibit the sale of these lighting options as it is likely not possible to ensure these bulbs meet the minimum efficiency standard.
The new standard will be introduced on 23 May but will not prevent the sale of all noncompliant lights instantly.
News24 has had sight of a Eurolux document that was sent to lighting retailers that explains the impact of the new regulations. The Eurolux document explains that companies with a sales permit will be able to continue stocking general household lamps with a luminous efficacy below 90Lm/W until the end of this year.
After this, there will be no exceptions to this rule for household lightbulbs.
By May of 2026, the efficiency standard will be raised further to 105 Lm/W.
Compliance
Gus Fabian, the managing director of lighting retailer Glo Lighting, said that the rule change would have an impact on his business.
“It will definitely impact me. From a business perspective it will change the variety that’s available in South Africa,” he said.
He explained that there are lots of different applications for less efficient bulbs like halogens, which are easier to dim than LEDs with current technology.
However, Fabian said he was not against LEDs and that energy efficiency was important.
“Obviously energy saving is good. I’m not against LEDs – they are a fantastic solution that are basically using 10 times less energy,” he said, adding:
“It’s a good way forward, but I suppose if they just made the other lights more expensive that would have also solved the problem.”
A Massmart spokesperson told News24 that the majority of the company’s affected suppliers are already compliant with the new directive ahead of the change on Thursday next week.
Massmart owns brands including Builders, Game, and Makro.
“Massmart has been working on achieving compliance for the past 12 months. The significant majority of our affected suppliers meet the new regulatory standard,” the spokesperson said.
The Eurolux document explained that rechargeable lamps do fall within the scope of the new regulations.