BAN ON INCANDESCENT BULBS

BAN ON INCANDESCENT BULBS: 9.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether his Ministry will consider a ban on incandescent bulbs, following a similar ban in Australia.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, moving away from the use of incandescent light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) is a highly effective way to conserve energy. CFLs, which can fit into the light sockets of most incandescent bulbs, use only about a quarter of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs to produce the same amount of light. This translates into cost savings, for example, of about $110 over the lifetime of an 18-watt CFL, compared with that of a 75-watt incandescent bulb. These cost savings far exceed the higher

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upfront costs of a CFL over an incandescent bulb, which are less than $10. Furthermore, as CFLs can last up to 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs, the owner would not have to buy and replace light bulbs as frequently. For Singaporeans who prefer the warm lighting of incandescent light bulbs, CFLs that produce warm lighting are already available.

However, Sir, to convince people to switch to CFLs, raising public awareness is an important initial first step. A decision to switch to CFLs based on the individual’s choice through public persuasion is more lasting than it being imposed. We need to raise consumer awareness of energy-efficient lamps in Singapore, and ensure that lamp manufacturers provide accurate information on their lamps.

Sir, under the Climate Change Awareness Programme run by the Singapore Environment Council, one of the 10 energy-saving tips shared with the public is to switch from incandescent light bulbs to CFLs. The South West CDC recently launched an initiative at Hong Kah North in which a CFL was given free of charge to households using incandescent bulbs to encourage them to make the switch. In fact, it was a surprise to all that almost 80% of the households have already made the switch. Such community efforts by grassroots organisations can play a very effective part in raising consumer awareness.

To help consumers make more informed choices, NEA is working with major lamp suppliers on consistent labelling of lamps. NEA will also study whether there is a need for Singapore to adopt minimum energy performance standards for lamps, which would remove energy-inefficient lamps from the market.

Sir, we will monitor the effectiveness of these actions, and continue to look into

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other measures which can significantly improve energy efficiency in Singapore.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: Mr Speaker, Sir, there was a recent report talking about Paris as well as Sydney which switched off the lights for a few minutes or hours - I am not sure about that. But does what we are trying to do now to save energy contradict our efforts to try to light up the city at the same time at night, since I understand that Ministries are also trying to encourage buildings in the downtown area to light up the city so that we will have a beautiful downtown area?

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, we do not see this as a contradiction. In fact, NEA is working very closely with URA. If we do the right choice of lighting, we do not have to necessarily light up the entire building. But if we light up the correct spots - and here we need to engage lighting consultants - we can actually have a very beautiful downtown at night, with energy consumption not so high. So we will work closely with URA. Sir, if we do this well, it will complement Singapore's image as a buzzing and vibrant city. Sir, I think the lighting will be done judiciously together with the URA.