First the Crown stamp, now the Watt off lightbulbs.

We lost the crown stamp on pint glasses, now we are to lose the wattage markings off of lightbulbs.

All thanks to New Labour, they will spin this as they do with everything. The fact is that they signed up to EU regulations last year, stating that traditional bulbs should be replaced with greener, low-energy alternatives. An 11W new-style bulb, for example, is the equivalent of an old 60W bulb. 

Ministers insisted the move would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by five million tons a year. But the new bulbs have been linked to health problems including skin rashes, migraine and epilepsy.

There are also safety concerns because of their mercury content, which makes them difficult and dangerous to dispose of.

Old-style bulbs have been stockpiled by householders who say they are more efficient than the new ones.

But Jurgen Sturm, the secretary general of the European Lamp Companies Federation, insisted: 'We are making the choice for the consumer easier. People will know exactly the output they are going to expect, rather than the energy going in.'

Opaque incandescent bulbs including the 25 and 40W varieties shaped like candles and golf balls will be banned from September this year.

Lumens measure the flux of a light being produced by a light source or received by a surface.

Watts measure the amount of power used.

Production will also be stopped on 100W clear bulbs. Other clear varieties are expected to be phased out from autumn next year.

The EU like New Labour, nannying and controlling every aspect of peoples lives...

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