New Lamps for Old

Over the next few weeks you will notice the colour of all our old sodium streetlights will be changing from their characteristic amber/yellow colour to a warm-white

We are changing the bulbs that we use.

The lighting industry is changing and we have to move with the times

The pale blue mercury vapour lamps (of which we have about 70) are no longer produced. Mercury is nasty stuff to get into the environment, the lamps are now very inefficient and they are effectively banned. The same is rapidly becoming true for sodium lanterns with the one remaining UK manufacturer scaling back production with a view to eventual discontinuation.

The reason is simple; the new generation of lamps use a lot less electricity and have a much longer lifespan.  The upshot of this is that the Parish lighting bill will be reduced by more than £5000 in a full year and our carbon footprint (for lighting) will shrink by more than half. This has to be a good thing.

It may take some of us a little while to become accustomed to the colour change but, as you start to experience it, it is worth bearing in mind that the new lamps are in fact significantly less bright than the old ones. The white light gives better colour rendition enabling the eye to discern objects more clearly at a reduced brightness. Unfortunately the eye doesn’t understand this and at first sight concludes, wrongly, that the light is brighter.