Cheap energy saving bulbs found to intefere with TV signals - 16/04/2010
Consumers have found that their cheap energy saving light bulbs are interfering with their television signals.
Virgin Media customers Alistair and Emma Clements were among the first to spot the problem of their TV set changing channels at random and later discovered that their Phillips low-energy light bulb was at the root of the problem.
Phillips Electronics confirmed that the issue is caused when the bulb is first switched on and flickers at a frequency which affects the infra-red sensors on remote control receivers.
The company maintained that the problem is likely to be rare because the offending bulbs are relatively old and are not as common as newer versions.
A spokesperson for the company said: "Some very early compact fluorescent lamps, shortly after starting, could cause interference with TV controls due to the frequency of operation of the bulb and when placed near a TV."
A recent report by Which? found that many energy suppliers are making consumers indirectly pay for eco-friendly light bulbs that are supposed to be free by increasing their energy bills.
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