95W Lamps Evade Ban

Jan. 20, 2011

Producers of incandescent lamps found a way around a presidential ban on 100-watt light bulbs that went into effect in January, switching to 95-watt bulbs, Vedomosti reported Wednesday.

The ban aims to popularize energy-efficient lamps, which remain slow to catch on with the public because they cost 10 to 15 times more than incandescent bulbs.

Two companies, Tver’s Kalashnikovo and Tomsk’s TELZ, managed to capitalize on the loophole in the presidential ban by launching production of 95-watt bulbs, the report said. Before, only 75-watt lamps were available in Russia.

No sales figures are available, but a TELZ representative said 95-watt bulbs were flying off the shelves. A Kremlin official told Vedomosti that the producers’ new strategy is legal.

(MT)

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