Free bulbs 'could be left unused'

The government is worried people may have been given too many bulbs

Many energy-saving light bulbs given out free to the public could be left unused, the government has admitted.

Energy suppliers have sent households about 200 million bulbs as part of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme, a consultation paper revealed.

The government acknowledged concerns many were not being used because they only had one type of fitting. It plans to phase out distribution by January.

Energy suppliers' research suggests that 6% of the bulbs will be unused.

The government launched its emissions reduction targets for energy suppliers in April 2008. It is ploughing £3.5bn into the scheme (Cert) over four years.

Firms are being encouraged to subsidise households' efforts to install loft or cavity wall insulation and to give out home energy advice, with an emphasis on the homes of low-paid and elderly people.

As part of the Department of Energy and Climate Change programme, ministers anticipated firms would send out an average of four bulbs to all homes.

Concerns

However, after consulting the industry, it admitted in a report: "We are concerned that the number of bulbs already directly distributed in Cert has been so high - reaching an average of eight per household.

"We also understand that some households have received more than an average number.

"There is an increasing risk to carbon savings under the scheme where lamps are not used [or] are installed on low-use light fittings."

It was forced to reduce its estimates of the resultant emissions savings by 5% to 23% and admitted monitoring had not been good enough.

The Energy Retail Association says it is disappointed the policy is being phased out.