In 2008 the EU decided that it was time to drop the curtain on energy inefficient light-bulbs, in favour of CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) which are supposedly better for environment and could help Europe to dramatically drop its CO2 emissions. According to the UK gas and electricty giant npower, a single CFL can save the average household £100 over the lifetime of a single bulb. The EU also estimated that a complete shift away from 100W and 60W bulbs would help to reduce Europe's carbon emissions by 50m tonnes a year.

The first step of the plan saw the eradication of frosted bulbs and 100Watt bulbs in 2009.   

According to the powers of science, light-bulbs work in a relatively simplistic way - in fact the system is so simple that traditional light-bulb technology hasn't changed for almost 100 years.

How the magic happens...

Light-bulbs consist of;  

1.    A glass container
2.    Inert gas
3.    An electrical current
4.    A tungsten filament

To manufacture a light-bulb you will first need to create a sealed glass container. Once this has been achieved, manufacturers will then insert a coiled filament made of tungsten which is then hooked up to an electric circuit. The chamber containing the filament must then be sealed and a vacuum must be created before the inert gas is inserted. The bulb must be made air-tight to prevent combustion, inert gases are then introduced to the bulb to prevent oxidation of the filament. One the bulb has been fashioned it can then be hooked up to an electrical current, this current passes through the filament heating git to roughly 2000 degrees celcius