Environmental group demand end to sale of incandescent lightbulbs; new league table reveals retailer is UK's worst at helping customers tackle climate change

The Greenpeace "Light Brigade" is carrying out a national day of action today against the high street chain Woolworths. The environmental group is protesting at the retailer's continued failure to promote efficient alternatives to power hungry, incandescent lightbulbs.

Activists at seven locations across Britain have taken hundreds of incandescent bulbs off the shelves, locked them up in modified shopping trolleys and chained themselves and the bulbs to store entrances. Outside these stores shoppers are being offered free efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and are being asked to lend their support to the campaign.

Woolworths have come bottom of a new Greenpeace league table, also published today, which looks at how soon retailers are prepared to stop selling old fashioned incandescent bulbs. Woolworths have refused even to set a date, and the table shows how they are not doing nearly enough to help their customers make the changes necessary to tackle climate change. They stand accused of selling climate wrecking products that will cost their customers more in the long term.

The Light Brigade, who operate under the motto Carpe Lumen, are in action at seven locations across Britain - in Cardiff, Southampton, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds. Their aim is to pressure Woolworths into removing "power crazy" incandescent bulbs by the end of 2007.

Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Laura Yates, who is in London, said:

"We're here to seize the light - Woolworths are refusing to remove these power crazy bulbs from the shelves, so we're doing it for them. The Greenpeace Light Brigade is also offering people free energy efficient bulbs to show how simple the solutions are. If they want to be seen as a 21st Century company, Woolworths need to accept that consumers care about climate change and take a lead on the issue. Right now they're lagging far behind their competitors."

The activists chained to the bulbs are demanding to speak with the CEO of Woolworths, Trevor-Bish Jones, to ask why one of the country's most famous retailers is living in the dark ages on energy efficiency. The incandescent lightbulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, the same year that Frank Woolworth opened his first store in the United States.

The government is calling on all retailers to enter into a voluntary agreement to remove inefficient bulbs from sale by 2011. Woolworths have not even committed to this date, and Greenpeace say that they could set the trend for other retailers to follow.

Laura Yates continued:

"Just how many years does it take to change a lightbulb? Woolworths haven't even named a date, even though other companies like Currys are there already. If all retailers took this simple action the UK could save enough energy to shut two whole power stations."

Currys promised in April not to sell any more incandescent bulbs after their current stock has run out, and other retailers have promised to remove the bulbs from them shelves before 2011. Habitat has committed to end sales of incandescent bulbs by 2009, while the Co-op is piloting a removal scheme in differen in 2007.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• If all retailers stopped selling incandescent bulbs and only stocked energy efficient alternatives the UK would save enough energy to be able to shut down two entire power stations.
• Switching to energy efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs will cut 15% from the average household electricity bill. This equates to around £50 per year.
• The cheapest compact fluorescent, energy efficient bulb on sale at Woolworths is priced at £2.49. This is twelve times more expensive than their cheapest incandescent bulb (at 20p). Efficient CFL bulbs are on sale for 39p at Morrisons or 49p at John Lewis.

The Greenpeace lightbulb league table, which can be viewed at www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/reports/light-bulb-retailers-league-table and shows the commitments made by all major retailers in the UK to phasing out incandescent lightbulbs.

For more information, interviews and comment please contact the Greenpeace press office in London on 0207 865 8255.