The UK government has announced plans to introduce new legislation aimed at increasing energy efficiency in lighting for homes and businesses.

The proposed standards, which are set to be among the most efficient in the world, could help reduce household energy bills and help the UK government meet its climate change targets.

What is the government proposing, exactly?

Specifically, the government proposes to:

• Implement minimum energy performance standards that are higher than those in the US and EU.
• Require shops to sell only the most energy efficient light bulbs, such as low energy-use LEDs.
• Save homeowners between £2,000 and £3,000 over the lifetime of the bulbs.

The government claims that “British homes will have some of the cheapest and greenest lighting in the world.” But as this is still at the proposal stage, we’ll have to see the final legislation to determine the real impact.

Why is the government making these proposals now?

The government is fighting two major battles: reducing energy costs and lowering the UK’s negative environmental impact.

Reducing the amount of energy needed to light our homes could both reduce lighting costs and reduce energy consumption, which would in turn reduce the amount of carbon emitted during the energy generation process.

What impact could the proposals have?

Making sure that only the most efficient energy lightbulbs are sold will no-doubt improve the overall energy efficiency of the UK’s housing stock. But half of bulbs sold already meet the proposed standard. That doesn’t mean that half of bulbs sold are of this standard, but lots of people are likely to be using them already.

Economically, the government estimated that homeowners that switch over to energy-efficient lightbulbs could save between £2,000 and £3,000 over the lifetime of the bulbs, depending on the size of their home.

In terms of environmental impact, the government claims that the proposed regulations could result in 1.7 million tonnes of carbon savings by 2050. That’s equivalent to a year’s worth of carbon emissions from 2.5 million UK households. It’s worth noting that this estimate is based on residential and commercial buildings implementing the changes.

When could the proposals come into effect?

If the government’s latest proposals are adopted, they could come into force towards the end of 2023. And further increased minimum standards could be introduced from September 2027.

The proposals would be limited to England, Scotland and Wales since Northern Ireland is still bound by EU regulations as part of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

What does Snugg think of the proposals?

At Snugg, we believe that any effort to make homes more energy efficient and affordable to power is worth looking at. And these proposals - while not as impactful as some other government initiatives - will help more people improve their home’s energy efficiency.

The new legislation could also lead to the creation of new jobs in the lighting industry as companies will have to adapt to the new standards. So this could be a great opportunity for companies to innovate and create new products that are not only energy efficient but also cost-effective.

The proposed legislation is a relatively small step towards achieving the UK's climate change targets and moving towards a more sustainable future. But these proposals are a positive step in the right direction and they set an example for other countries to follow, which is good for the planet.

You can read the government’s full announcement here.