Buying Light Bulbs

[jadyn]

Does anyone know where I can still buy 100w and 60w BC tungsten filament lightbulbs in opal or clear? I can't stand these new fangled energy-saving bulbs and want a bulb that comes on as soon as a press the switch. I know poundshops used to sell them around the time that the EU made their sale difficult but I don't know who stocks them nowadays. I just want some bog-standard bulbs that will do the job and not cost a packet.

Thank you.

[Jackdaw33]

Corner shops and bargain stores still sell them. However, I would counsel caution. They are cheap makes and don't last five minutes. I used to use them but if I got three weeks out of a bulb I was lucky. Mine would pop out of the socket and onto the floor, often not cleanly. Three times I have had to get an electrician to repair the fitting so I have given them up as a bad job.

[EDDIE51]

Our corner shop sells them even up to 200 watt! 60p each for 60 and 100 watt.
Jackdaw33, what are you doing with yours? we have some that have been going over 5 years so far and still working. You get an occasional dud but very few.

[Captain2]

We get ours off Amazon - and cheap too- most last a decent length of time.

[Jackdaw33]

I must be very unlucky then. I used to use 150w but they seemed to have disappeared. I'm surprised that you can still get them up to 200w.

[Prudie]

Yes you can still find them around if you look away from the big sellers. I'm with you, the new bulbs are not so bright whatever anyone says and they are so complicated. I had to ask an assistant which bulb to buy in B&Q to go with a new lamp I was buying from there and even he didn't understand them.

[beckyboo]

try buying the new LED bulbs. much brighter and cheaper to run.
May be a bit more expensive but last forever (supposedly)

[jadyn]

Thank you all for your help. I'll scour the poundshops this week!

[ummmm]

My corner shop sells them as do the supermarkets.

[jadyn]

I'm don't understand this. I thought the EU banned the sale of incandescent light bulbs a few years ago. How come they are still on sale? I seem to recall something about more robust, industrial-type BC bulbs being exempt from the ban, but the bulbs are still around all the same.

I've seen some that are more expensive than than I'd like to pay that have some sort of intricate assembly holding the complexly wound filament in place. What are these about? Surely they can't be halogen as they look identical in size and shape to an ordinary bulb.

[Hopkirk]

I agree with Beckyboo, spend the extra money and buy LED bulbs.

They are instant on, and use so little electricity compared with old style filament bulbs that they will pay for themselves in the long run.

They are the future.