Light-sensitive people need safe non-LED lightbulbs, say health charities

Five health charities have joined together to urge the Government to keep its promise to protect people who cannot tolerate LED lights.

Action for ME, The national migraine centre, Mast Cell Action, MCS-Aware and LightAware are calling on the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to urgently implement the “photosensitivity exemption” in LED legislation.

When the EU legislated to make LED lighting the norm, phasing out incandescent and halogen light bulbs, it included a “photosensitivity exemption” allowing people to buy them who are sensitive to light and cannot tolerate LEDs.

People with autism, lupus, migraine, ME, and other chronic health conditions can become sensitive to light as part of their condition.

But the “photosensitivity exemption” has not been implemented properly by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero and the NHS.

Dr John Lincoln of the charity LightAware said, “UK government ministers have promised repeatedly that light-sensitive sick and disabled people will be protected.”

“Ed Miliband is effectively forcing disabled people into the dark. He needs to make sure light-sensitive people, and their families can still use electric light in their homes.”

“For some people, light sensitivity has a big impact on their day-to-day life and so for them it counts as a disability under the Equality Act.

“The government says it wants more people with chronic health conditions to work. Light sensitive people often work from home, but they will be forced out of work if they cannot buy suitable light bulbs.

“Without this exemption stocks of non-LED light bulbs will run out plunging around 60,000 light-sensitivity sufferers into darkness.”

Light-sensitive people need safe non-LED lightbulbs, say health charities

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