Spreading the light

Almost 30,000 vouchers for free energy-saving bulbs have been handed out to households since the government campaign was launched a week ago.

So far, the long-awaited vouchers have been doled out in Valletta, Floriana, Ħamrun, Marsa, Sta Venera, Qormi, Paola, Fgura and Nadur.

The vouchers will be distributed in other localities over the next two weeks and can be redeemed for bulbs until the end of October.

A total of 1.2 million bulbs will be available free to households under the campaign to reduce their electricity bills. It is estimated that the cost of lighting will be cut by 70 per cent and the bulbs will last 10 times longer than conventional ones.

Households of one or two persons are receiving five free bulbs, those of three or four people are entitled to eight and bigger households get 10.

The vouchers, which have in-built security features to prevent abuse, can be exchanged for 17 different makes of bulb at hardware and ironmongery stores.

The shops in the scheme can be identified by a green sticker depicting a flower with different bulbs as petals.

The Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU has called on the public to exchange their vouchers in the afternoons between Mondays and Fridays. An ID card is required on redeeming the vouchers.

The scheme was one of the electoral promises made by the Nationalist Party for the March 2008 general election.

A year later, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi announced they would start being distributed by the end of that month.

Under new EU rules, conventional light bulbs will have to be replaced by energy-saving bulbs of the type being distributed by the government or by efficient halogen or incandescent lamps.

For more information call free phone 8007 2212.