DutchNews.nl - No tax cuts on energy-saving bulbs

No tax cuts on energy-saving bulbs

Monday 26 May 2008

Lowering the btw tax on energy-saving light bulbs is a possibility but is not yet an option, environment minister Jacqueline Cramer told MPs on Monday.

The minister was commenting on recommendations from her Lighting Taskforce which says traditional light bulbs of 60 watts and above should be phased out by 2011 and energy-saving versions be made much cheaper through lower btw and a scrapping of the import tax.

But according to Cramer, people are already saving €10 a year on their energy bills by using the new ones. ‘You can earn back the cost of these bulbs in about 10 months,’ she told parliament.

Cramer is also asking for patience on EU import tax which adds 60% to the cost of energy-saving bulbs and requires action from Brussels.

Retailers have said they are willing to remove the old light bulbs from shelves if the new light bulbs are made cheaper, says ANP. ‘Customers say that price does play a role in choosing bulbs,’ Ed Hamming of the retail association told ANP. ‘And the customer is always right.’

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If as you say they will pay off in the end ,what about the cost of disposing them ,since they contain mercury-- a neurotoxin and have to disposed of carefully so as to not pollute the enviroment or caused harm to human beings.What about the disposal of the mercury and who is publishing this for the public in case they break a bulb.

By SchonShea | May 26, 2008 5:06 PM

Cheap LED light bulbs are desperately needed ASAP. My latest experience is that van Kranenbroek outlets have been selling foreign LED bulbs at less than €4,00 per bulb. Philips LED's sell for about 50% more. So at €4 or €6 most customers are not too keen on switching over 100%, but perhaps more likely to switch one-at-a-time as older tungsten bulbs wear out.
I do understand that LED's cannot replace every tungsten or other types of energy saving bulbs, but there are certainly enough times that they can be used.
Right now I can only find for purchase two kinds of 12 volt system LED's, one with the socalled 'bayonet' mount and the other with small twin pins.
What I am really waiting for are the small-format screw type bulbs. Yes, I know there are some 'round-shaped' ones, but I could immediately use at least 20 to 30 around my home of the rather flatter topped, small format bulbs for indoors and out.
These bulbs only use 2 watts or less and are stated to last 50,000 hours! I guess I could include them then as part of my testament for my grandchildren!
Obviously, such bulbs would obsolete much of the retail stores inventory of conventional bulbs, so I think it rather magnanimous on the part of these stores to be willing to stock their shelves with LED's, if the import tax could just be reduced to make the LED's competitive in price with the tungsten variety.

By HistoryTechDoc | May 27, 2008 6:39 AM

Even at the present (inflated - premium) price, the new type energy-saving bulbs (that have been around since the mid 80's!) are far cheaper overall than the old type because of the massive saving made on electricity costs.

The problem is mainly that of Education.

The old type bulbs could be phased out easily within months if there was a decent advertising campaign advising of the benefits.

Holland has been looking at it's future energy options and has considered building new power stations to cope with increased demand ... why not help reduce the demand, and reduce the new power station need.

By Gerard | May 27, 2008 10:10 AM

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