On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:04:32 +0100, Big Les Wade
wrote:

Richard Tobin posted

But in any case you can still buy the 30%-less-power halogen
bulbs in the traditional format. I can't see any reason not
to use them.

Do they fit in existing bulb fittings,

Sort of in that some are the same form factor roughly as conventional
incandescent, not necessarily, however, in Anglepoise type lamps where
they may cause problems as they are heavier.

and are they the same price?

Of course not, they are several times more expensive and available up
to a massive 42W (Osram Halolux) or 30W (Phillips Master Classic,
typically 10 times the cost of a standard GLS). A different form
factor Halolux is available up to 250W (also at 10 times the price of
GLS).

The present legislation is largely as a result of years of enormous
"lobbying" (cf bribery) of EU functionaries by Osram. European bulb
makers can't compete with Far Eastern imports on incandescent bulbs
and they are long out of patent protection. The revenue from domestic
lighting was falling rapidly and this was seen as the only way of
getting more money out of consumers and moving products back into
patent protection - particularly the "GLS replacement" halogens. The
idiot greenies, anxious to climb on any passing bandwagon smelling of
manure, were willing accomplices.

Rather cunningly the Chinese wiped out the worlds Rare Earth metals
mining industry in the 1990's by dumping and are now proposing to bar
the export of rare earths from China. Terbium, used to give CFL's
some semblance of a reasonable colour rendering index, would be barred
from export so Osram may end up hoist by their own petard as the only
bulbs with merely poor colour rendering will have to be made in China,
the EU manufactured ones will go back to being the dire "corpse
lights" of old. (The Toyota Pious and electric windmills could also
become museum pieces if the Chinese limit the export of neodymium as
expected).