Light Bulbs

Mrs. Hodgson
To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will take steps to replace standard light bulbs throughout the House of Commons estate with energy saving light bulbs; and if he will commission an estimate of the likely savings in (a) energy cost and (b) energy usage which would result from such a policy.

Nick Harvey
Steps are already being taken to replace standard light bulbs where possible throughout the Parliamentary Estate.

Guidelines issued to consultants designing new lighting schemes for large projects require the use of low energy lamps. Smaller projects to replace standard lamps with low energy lamps are completed as new lamp designs become available. For example, low energy lamps have been used on the Christmas trees in New Palace Yard and Westminster Hall.

The likely savings on this project and in general are as follows:

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|Project                                                                                               |(a) Saving in energy cost             |(b) Saving in energy usage (%)|
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|Christmas tree lights project                                                                         |£3,761 per annum                      |98                            |
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|Changing a standard 75 watt lamp with a 15 watt compact fluorescent lamp having the same light output.|0.54 pence per hour at day electricity|80                            |
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