The legislation should have considered what would happen in the slow transition to BC3. It didn’t and the result is much consumer inconvenience. To what benefit? The CLF tube shapes are also better than they used to be and CLFs are now cheap enough that when consumers consider their longevity they may well buy them anyway. So I still think the legislation/regulation unhelpful/unnecessary and worse, nannying.

What it has clearly achieved is to line the pockets of Eaton/MEM. One would have thought the regulation very problematic due to the likely emergence of competing proprietory standards. But the fact that BC3 emerged as such a quick response to the legislation, becoming the only new standard, with MEM the only manufacturer - I actually almost find that suspicious. It certainly isn’t good competition policy.

I agree with previous posters. The legislation is badly thought through. They’ve given a company a loophole so that they can have anti-competitive practice enshrined in regulation under a green smoke screen. A legislative cock-up, I think. I’m also of the opinion that Eaton/MEM are most likely in bed with developers, due to their prevalence in newly built properties (even those finished in 2008 when MEM no longer makes the best CFLs).

I shall probably replace all my light fittings. Not because its cheap, but on principle. I’m not going to co-operate with something that reduces market choice (within the CFL sector it reduces choice).

I also agree with the point that these regulations are not forward looking from a technical progress perspective. Idiots in governemnt thought they’d suceeded in locking us in to the green future. Actually they’ve locked us in to MEM. As MEM settles into their cosy monopolistic position their product performance gets overtaken by the more competitive 2 pin market eg Philips Genie mentioned by Duncan, Dan & Jon D above, or new technologies like LED bulbs mentioned by David. 2 pin is competitive precisely because it is standardised.

So the government have allowed consumers to be locked in to MEM and a particular point in the development process. That was the future then, but is the past now. NOT VERY BRIGHT!

I’d be really interested to find more about what the independent shopkeeper said, Paul. I wonder if there’s any merit in it? I might email Eaton to ask for some stats.

The only place I could find replacement bulbs was from a small independent lighting retailer who told me that the BC3 bulbs, in spite of being several times more expensive, typically have a far shorter lifespan than other CFLs.

I can see the point behind the legislation, even if it does seem a little heavy-handed (aren’t incandescent bulbs being gradually removed from sale over the next few years anyway?), but to allow a single manufacturer to have a monopoly on such a basic household product is insane. How are they enforcing it? What’s to stop other manufacturers producing these three-prong bulbs? I presume the internals aren’t any different. Do they have a patent or something?

That’s what makes me suspect collusion between the manufacturer and whoever draws up the building regulations. It’s a licence to print money. As another commenter mentioned, a lot of these fittings end up in newly-built social housing, so people who are least able to afford it are being forced to buy an inferior product whose price is being held artificially high through the manufacturer’s monopoly power.

I am in Australia so don’t have the 3 prong problem here …but a word of comfort…
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Its just a question of time….before a simple adapter can be manufactured to nullify this attack on consumer choice & indeed ones wallet..!!
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If any reader cares to invest a few $$ in sending just one socket
EG: The fitting into which the 3 pronged globe sits
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My company will endeavor to have an adapter manufactured and on the UK market within the next 3 months which will and instantly allow consumers to fit the globe of their choice and will comply with UK electrical standards
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If any kind soul can give me a realistic idea of the amount of 3 pronged fittings already installed around the UK it will be very helpful.
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The fluorescent light market worldwide had a similar problem ….The standard T8 fluorescent tube has an electrical system which restricts light tubes to the T8 category.
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T8 tubes & its system, consume 30% - 50% more power & are much less efficient that the latest T5 tubes now available.
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But the snag…T5 tubes could not be directly fitted to the existing T8 system.
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Use of a widely available adapter has now resolved that problem and worldwide billions of inefficient T8 tubes are now being instantly replaced, as they fail with the superior T5 just by use a a simple adapter.
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When you consider that billions of T8 tubes are currently in use around the world then just have a guess at the value of 30% - 50% savings in use & cost of power and a similar % reduction of Greenhouse gas emission….wow
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Mail address is

Bright Image P/L Ltd PO Box 2171 GRACEVILLE QLD. 4075 AUSTRALIA
http://www.brightimage.com.au

http://www.allaboutelectrics.co.uk/index.php?doc=15&term=f12%2F66

Thank you!

This is a classic example of good intentions going badly wrong, with a twisted outcome - though hardly surprising really !!!

As for the electrician who has said that the warranty will be voided, I think he was expecting to be paid to do the job himself … . That way he can re-install the offending article in another new dwelling and the cycle continues …

Sad.

I swapped some of the fittings, it was very easy. I just swapped some of the Standard ones over to different rooms.

The down point was, according to the electricians, is that by doing so I voided my warranty on the electirc works….which seems daft since it was only the actualy bulb housing I swapped (i.e no movement of wiring).

So its easy enough to do if required.