Did you check out The Telegraph, the Sunday edition? This well-respected newspaper offers daily high-quality news and analysis of the current trends in several industries.
Yesterday we were kindly quoted in the Sunday Telegraph in the article entitled, Energy-saving light bulbs leap in price.
Here's a snippet from the Telegraph yesterday - tips concerning the leap in price for the light bulbs and the disappearing of the regular 100W / 60W light bulbs,
Energy-saving light bulbs leap in price - Sparks Electrical in The Telegraph
The cost of energy saving light bulbs is rising sharply ahead of the European Union ban on the traditioanl 60-watt bulbs. And with just weeks to go before the September 1 switch date, consumers have suffered another blow: the cost of CFLs is soaring.
Manufacturers have blamed recent price rises on the growing cost of raw materials required to make the bulbs, and say there are further increases to come. In a second, parallel move, the price of the traditional-style 60-watt bulbs has also gone up sharply as the date approaches for their manufacture to cease.
A similar pattern was observed in 2009, when the price of 100-watt bulbs increased sharply just before they went out of production – at a time when some shops and consumers were stockpiling the old-style bulbs. Giles Chichester, the Conservative energy spokesman in the European parliament, accused manufacturers of "exploiting a market opportunity" by raising the price of 60-watt bulbs.
The EU announced in 2008 that it would phase in a ban on the manufacture of old-style incandescent light bulbs, used since Victorian times, as part of its drive to save energy and cut carbon emissions. However, the CFLs that are replacing them contain small quantities of expensive rare earth elements.
Makers say that growing demand for the substances, particularly in China where they come from, has forced prices upwards.
One major wholesaler, Sparks in north London, said the price charged by its supplier for an 11-watt CFL had risen from £1.39 in June to £1.67 today, an increase of 20 per cent. In letters sent to lighting suppliers and seen by The Sunday Telegraph, manufacturers say they expect even more increases later in the year.
