Part L low energy fittings

[Christian McArdle]

Part L insists you install a certain proportion of low energy fittings. These are specifically designed to look as ugly as possible, not be compatible with standard lamp shades and require expensive, hideous, difficult to obtain tubes. Rather than install these, has anyone considered using some sort of current limiting devices that would enable a maximum of, say, 25W (after initial 3 minute warm up) to be used with a standard bayonet fitting, so that you can use nice looking, cheap, easy to obtain low energy light bulbs?

Christian.

[usenet]

I had a word with my local buildings inspector about this when wiring an extension. Bascially, between the lines, he was saying forget it as he knew as well as you and I that there aren't any suitable fitting available yet.

For a full house set up it's possible because you can use flourescent lighting in the kitchen and quite civilised looking low energy fittings in the bathroom and thus fulfil the proportion of low energy fittings required.

[Mike Harrison]

..or to get the required proportion, install a load of LE fititngs in the loft and never use them....

[Andy Hall]

and never use

Now that's creative - I like it.....

.andy

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[BigWallop]

loft and never use

I only use them in the cupboards and table lamps. Is this the required amount ? Out of nine light fittings and six table lamps, I wonder if it is enough to stop this global warming. :-))

[Christian McArdle]

I use low energy lights absolutely everywhere. I do not possess a filament lightbulb, except in the car. I object to being told that my nice pretty low energy lightbulbs (which look like standard lightbulbs) have to be thrown out to be replaced by something shaped like a 1960's housing estate gone wrong, complete with urine stained aerial walkways.

Christian.

[Andy Hall]

Only within 100 miles and two weeks of Kyoto........

.andy

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[ARWadsworth]

loft and never use

So do I, but lofts are excluded from the room that must have a low energy light fitting. I have three Volex low energy pendants (PL? I cannot remember) and they have been used in several new builds and come with me as soon as the NHBC inspector has made his visit and the new owners want to install their own lights.

-- Adam

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