Article from SCMP

Dear All.

Here is another SCMP article for your perusal about saving energies, reduce power bills and saving our Earth planet:-

" We must opt for energy-saving light bulbs

I noted the reports ("Power firm cuts tariffs by 5.9 pc", and "HK Electric's tariff cut not enough, say traders", December 17). The latter story included a comment by a shop owner who has a lighting store as well as a reference to other stores.

As an initial comment, all retail commercial premises in Hong Kong appear to have no idea how to regulate their air-conditioners. In the 30 years I have been resident here I have frozen in more restaurants than I can remember, winter or summer. If they set temperatures to suit their customers' needs rather than their staff, they could save half their power bills alone.

With respect to the lighting shops, I have been in many this year in the Morrison Hill area as I was refurbishing my flat. The vast majority have lights that still use obsolete incandescent lamps that use eight to nine times more power than modern compact fluorescents for the same light output. The waste is emitted as radiant heat - increasing their power bill alone - but more importantly their air-con bills as they need to dump the excess heat out of the premises.

This is also true of halogen lamps that have been superseded by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In the end, I fitted my flat with a combination of compact fluorescents, recessed tube fluorescent and LED down lighting, which are both stylish and practical and emitting 90 per cent less heat than incandescent bulbs. I do not have an incandescent bulb in my apartment (apart from inside my fridge I suspect) and enjoy greatly reduced power bills every month.

Australia will ban the sale of incandescent bulbs in 2009.

Wal-Mart in the US is pushing compact fluorescent bulbs very hard and this has changed GE's bulb business to increase production as they last eight to 10 times longer than Thomas Edition's 120-year old invention that created GE in the first place.

Numerous EU countries are also considering banning the old bulbs. The city of Des Plains in the US gave compact fluorescent bulbs away free in April as a promotion on energy conservation.

Hong Kong should follow suit. This will reduce electricity consumption and save everyone money, to say nothing of reducing our carbon footprint and helping clean the air.

Michael R.K. Mudd, Wan Chai."