The sale of incandescent light bulbs has been outlawed, after an EU-backed phased ban came into full effect last Saturday (1 September).

The ban, which came into force across the EU, marked the final step in a series of laws implemented since 2009. Incandescent bulbs at 25 watts (W) and 40W will now join their 60W and 100W contemporaries – phased out in previous years – to make way for more energy-efficient alternatives.

The European Commission has predicted that the replacement of incandescent bulbs will save close to 80 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2020 – the equivalent electrical consumption of 23 million homes – and will lead to a reduction of around 32 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

Retailers are permitted to sell their remaining stocks but, under the EU guidelines, will now be prohibited from buying in any further bulbs intended for household lamps.

Despite the gradual introduction of the ban, there has been some resistance among those who feel that the energy-saving bulbs are not as bright as their predecessors. Concerns have also been raised over hazardous substances contained in energy-efficient bulbs and their possible side effects, following reports that some individuals have experienced headaches and dizziness, among other symptoms, after exposure to the bulbs.

Such opposition has sparked stories in a number of national newspapers that some individuals are getting around the ban by buying and selling bulbs designed for industrial use – known as ‘rough-service’ bulbs – which are almost identical to, but exempt from, the ban on those for household use.

However, speaking to the Guardian last week, Peter Hunt joint Chief Executive of the Lighting Association, dismissed such stories as “overplayed”, adding: “The law is clear: they should not be sold for household use. It says so on the packaging. Any retailer is risking a visit from government inspectors if they continue to sell them."

Dustin Benton, from the independent think tank Green Alliance, also criticised the reception the ban had received, suggesting in a blog that the widespread antipathy appeared to stem more from Euro-scepticism than concern about dimmer or more expensive bulbs: ‘The addition of Europe into the mix makes the largely uncontroversial – saving money – controversial.

‘The truth is that opposing efficiency just because it’s decided in Brussels leaves consumers much worse off: an extra £158 worse off per household per year. This is gesture politics we can’t afford in the UK, especially as the rising price of gas has just put energy bills up by another nine per cent, a trend which shows little sign of slowing.’

Andrew Pendleton, Friends of the Earth's Head of Campaigns, also welcomed the ban, saying: "Pulling the plug on these energy-guzzling light bulbs is good news for cash-strapped consumers and the environment. Swapping out-dated bulbs for longer-lasting, energy efficient alternatives will lead to significant cuts in electricity bills – and because they use only a fifth of the energy, less dirty fossil fuels will be burned. "Switching to modern low-energy light bulbs is only the very first step to making our homes more energy efficient. With rocketing fuel bills the government must take action to make it as cheap and easy as possible for us all to slash energy waste."