Shoppers scour web for 100W bulbs

Shoppers unable to buy 100-watt lightbulbs from the high street are turning to the internet to stock up on the household staple, which is being phased out.

Under a European Union directive to replace the conventional bulb with a low-energy alternative, consumers will no longer be able to buy the bulb which has been lighting up homes for 120 years.

Already major high-street supermarkets, including Asda and Sainsbury's, have sold their final stocks of the bulbs.

However, there are still stocks of the bulb to be found through a quick search online. Homebase, the DIY chain, is currently selling the bulb and according to its website stock is available in its stores.

Homebase's own brand 100W Soft White Globe Bulb is listed at £2.99 for a single bulb. eBay's UK website also still has a considerable stock.

Among its auctions is a single 100W bulb, listed at 50p, with a further £1 for postage.

Under a voluntary government scheme to force people to buy greener compact fluorescent lights, retailers stopped replenishing supplies of conventional incandescent 100W bulbs at the start of the new year.

The EU will impose a ban on sales of 100W bulbs from September.

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