Promised bulbs on their way
The Resources Ministry yesterday launched a scheme for the distribution of energy-saving bulbs to all households, a measure promised before the general election a year ago.
Vouchers that can be redeemed for bulbs from hardware outlets will be mailed to all households following the registration of wholesalers and retailers. Each voucher will be individually identifiable by a unique number that will be entered into a database by the wholesaler. Households with up to two people will receive five bulbs, those of between three and four persons will get eight and bigger households will get 10.
A notice published in the Government Gazette includes schedules for wholesalers and sellers to register to participate in the scheme.
Sellers will be required to stock bulbs from at least three different brands but they will supply bulbs of one brand for each voucher. The wholesaler will be refunded by the Malta Resources Authority at €4 for each bulb.
Applications from wholesalers and retailers will be received by the MRA from next Monday.
The Resources Ministry said €4 million were allocated for the scheme, which, it added, was in line with efforts to cut energy consumption, reduce emissions and phase out traditional light bulbs.
Energy-saving bulbs use a fifth of the energy needed for traditional bulbs and last 12 times longer.
The bulbs to be distributed to households must last at least 10,000 hours.
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L..Galea
Mar 13th 2009, 09:14
J Martinelli
We get nothing for nothing. We pay our taxes more than we should pay because your EFApn and Gonezipn have squandered about Lm500 million left by the Labour Government and cast the country into nearly 5 BILLION euro debt.
It is not that I want more, but your Gonezipn had promised 10 energy savers and now he is only giving 5 to a household with 2 persons. HE NEVER KEEPS HIS PROMISES.
If you think that we are living in Nirvana, why don't you leave Canada and come back to live here Martinelli?
It is you who keeps annoying people in Malta Martinelli, because you do not live here, you do not pay taxes in Malta, and yet you think you can dictate to us whether we should criticize your beloved Gonezinpn or not.
AS IF!
You can rest assured that we shall continue to criticize your Gonezipn as much as we like Martinelli, whether you like it or not. As for the description of a freeloader it certainly fits you seeing that you live in Canada and is not the least affected by your Gonezipn taxes.
Giancarlo Refalo
Mar 13th 2009, 08:20
@ Bernard Mallia
Good point. I had no idea there was such a difference between LED's and the so-called energy saving light bulbs. Probably the LED's turn out to be more expensive...
J Martinelli
Mar 12th 2009, 19:41
lgalea - you need more than energy savers to see the light!
You seem to want everything for nothing but not only that, even if you get something for free, you want more. You certainly fit the description of a freeloader.
Where in God's earth would you find a government which does not collect taxes but provides services for free?
If for nothing else, you are paying taxes for the liberty of criticizing your government without fear of reprisals. If you feel too heavily taxed, then why do you not shut your computer so that your high electricity bills will be a little lower.
At the same time, you will be less annoying!
L..Galea
Mar 12th 2009, 16:48
J Martinelli
We are not receiving the energy savers for free MArtinelli.
We have paid for them through OUR TAXES.
And who told you that they will be VAT free?
Bernard Mallia
Mar 12th 2009, 14:50
This is outright stupid.
Why are we going to distribute Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs when LEDs are much less wasteful and harmful to the environment?
Is the Resources Ministry aware that Compact Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury that is harmful to human health and is going to create a waste problem? Does the Ministry know that mercury is bioaccumulative? Does the Ministry know that the useful economic life of LEDs are of around 50,000 hours to the 4,800 hours circa of Compact Fluorescent lighting?
Does the Ministry, then, know what the heck it is doing? To me it seems like it doesn't !
J Martinelli
Mar 12th 2009, 14:09
@ H Dempster
Let's hope that after 100 hours you will be green enough to buy your own. After all, you are receiving the energy savers for free!
Maybe the government should issue a written guarantee for three years? Some cheek!
@ Alfred Pace
The government went one step better - it is providing free energy savers and VAT is not applicable!
@ Alex Casha
The only sense I could get from your comment is the one 'no other cauntry to do such a shame promise like this'. There is an easy fix for this - refuse the bulbs and you shall not feel ashamed!
L..Galea
Mar 12th 2009, 13:45
Paul Barrett
Guess Gonezipn never heard about this.
Don't talk about what you have done or what you are going to do.
Thomas Jefferson
You can be sure that we will now not have to wait for Christmas because the election is round the corner. What is going to be a problem is that I've talked to several shopowners and they are not interested in the scheme because they know that it will be ages before they are paid by Gonezipn.
Another thing that I learned from a friend this morning was that his families in Australia pay about Lm50 every 3 months for electricity while having the air conditioner always on apart from all the other appliances that are commonly found in households. This shows how much we are being robbed by Gonezipn with his tariffs.
These are yet nothing compared to what we will have to pay when the water tariffs are worked out which will be about three times the present charges and remember that we will also have to pay the sewage tax from next year.
This is the future under Gonezipn.
Charles Cardona
Mar 12th 2009, 11:58
Let us hope that the tenders that the Gov. is issued for the supply of these long waited bulbs will not be a repetion of the computer supply tender that delayed the supply , and we will have the bulbs as a Christmas present.
ALEX CASHA
Mar 12th 2009, 11:48
From all the promises the goverment make before the election,the one of the bulbs did make happen what a shame.A BULB PROMISE.theres no other cauntry to do such a shame promise like this,i think that all the familys already payed for these bulbs with those exagerated tarifs,so it was better reviewd the tarifs and has no bulbs,we r living in 2009 those enerys savers are being used for years now.
H Dempster
Mar 12th 2009, 10:56
Lets hope that the bulbs are not of a poor quolity like some found in certain outlets where by they only last not more then 100 hours .
Paul Barrett
Mar 12th 2009, 10:38
@ Mr/Mrs/Ms L..Galea
Unfortunately no politician (of any colour/party) worth his salt makes a promise without some caveat - to expect different is pie in the sky.
Alfred Pace
Mar 12th 2009, 10:23
What a waste of public money. Most of us already have these lamps. What the Gov. should do first is remove v.a.t on these items so as everyone can afford them. At this moment of time can we afford spending millions of euro on lamps as I can assure you some of these will be left on the shelf. Use the money to pay back the illegal v.a.t. charged on cars first.
L..Galea
Mar 12th 2009, 09:55
GONEZIPN you promised 10 energy savers to all households.
YOU are NOT keeping your promise.