Of the many measures the European Union has taken to reduce its collective environmental footprint, the worst of the bunch has been the banning of the incandescent light bulb.  To further make things more restrictive, on top of that ban, they’ve also banned all light bulbs over 60 watts, meaning useful and bright bulbs like 75- and 100-watt bulbs are forbidden.  Fortunately for freedom-lovers who need decent lighting, German entrepreneur Sigfried Rotthaeuser has gotten around the law by importing “heatballs” that just so happen to be the exact same product as banned 75- and 100-watt light bulbs.

From his base in Essen, Rotthaeuser has been importing delicious light bulbs from China in bulk.  His first 4,000 bulb shipment sold out in three days, despite a cost of $2.38 per bulb.  Because the old-style bulbs produce more heat than light (heat is 95 percent of their output), they’re legally able to be classified as heaters.  An unjust law gets skirted, a genius makes a little money on the side, and the EU ends up with egg on their nanny-state faces.

For the record, I’m against the energy-saving lights.  It’s not because I like wasting electricity (because I don’t), but I’m very much against polluting the ground with toxic mercury, which most energy-saving bulbs contain.  Old lights use a little more electricity, but are much less harmful to the planet in the long run.

Tags: light bulbs sold as heat balls, personal heaters, European Union, Siegfried Rotthaeuser, Essen, Germany, light bulb ban, creative marketing, getting around the light-bulb ban,  entrepreneurs, 75 and 100-watt light bulbs banned in Europe

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