Once when the bulb blew in your light and one had no replacement on hand, one could pop down to their store and for a few pence one could select an identical replacement straight away.
But what happens now? One is confronted by a multitude of different shapes, sizes, styles and wattage, lumens, ???????
There are long ones, round ones, large screw, small screw, bayonet, it's a mine field.
Yes we have got Europe to thank for this (who else).
It's stretching it a bit to blame Europe for us having a choice of light bulbs. But I admit there is something to be said for the good old British 40 watt bulb.
I have no problem with them. Since I bought my first ones 5 1/2 years ago-they've shrunk in size (they used to be enormous!),and also gotten cheaper. I can buy one for a quid and change in Wilko's...or even get 3 for a £ in Poundland.
Don't completely blame yourself, you will soon come to realise those famous words of Del boy, "YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE".
That apart, regarding those new bulbs costing a fortune, when they first came out some stores were selling about a dozen for the ridiculous sum of £1.
Other times I could not go out without coming back home and then tripping over a free box of them, left on the doorstep by some power supplier or other.
You say you have used up all the supplies your former partner built up, how come when they are supposed to last for ages?
/// It's stretching it a bit to blame Europe for us having a choice of light bulbs ///.
/// The market was thrown into disarray in September 2009 when the European Union made it a criminal offence to manufacture or import frosted or ‘pearl’ traditional bulbs.///
My gripe is that I bought quite a few of the 10-for-a-£1 new bulbs from Homebase when they came out, and they are too long to fit some of our older traditional light fittings, they stick out of the top of the lampshade. The light's not as good either, IMO, more diffused.
/// I'm not sure why Europe is to blame for a lack of self education about the new designs and styles of light bulbs.///
Lack of self education is not the issue here, it is the need to self educate, on the once simple matter of choosing the correct light bulb.
Now that is Europe's fault, when in September 2009 the European Union made it a criminal offence to manufacture or import frosted or ‘pearl’ traditional bulbs
We moved on when we advanced from the candle to the electric light bulb, but there was no European Union around then to make the manufacture of the candle a criminal offence.
damn that European conspiracy to save the typical family £37 a year replacing their old fashioned bulbs and slashing national carbon emissions by five million tons a year... when will the madness stop!!!