UK has hit “peak light bulb” says Prof

We’re familiar with the phrase peak oil and the fear of how soon we could run out of the black gold. But when it comes to lighting our homes, the […]

We’re familiar with the phrase peak oil and the fear of how soon we could run out of the black gold.

But when it comes to lighting our homes, the UK has already hit “peak light bulb” according to one Oxford academic.

Dr Brenda Boardman at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute has suggested that by phasing out more wasteful incandescent bulbs, amongst other things, the country’s homes are passing the point of maximum energy use.

She told a conference in December: “Because of the amount we are switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and LEDs, there is a huge drop in demand.”

The academic suggested that if power supply is tight in future, lights would lower but a full power cuts would be unlikely.

Pointing to statistics showing the UK’s peak electricity demand fell from 61.5 to 57.5 gigawatts between 2007 and 2012, she said: “Low-energy lights will keep the lights on,” reported the New Scientist.

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