Switching to energy saving light bulbs has helped one writer to cut his carbon emissions dramatically.

The Guardian's Alok Jha had an energy survey carried out on his home and it produced some shocking results.

As a result of his use of traditional incandescent bulbs, lighting made up 28 per cent of his overall energy usage and produced 1.5 tonnes of CO2 every year.

The news shocked him into action and he set about finding the best energy saving alternatives.

His research into the energy saving credentials of compact fluorescent lights and light emitting diodes certainly paid off, as his CO2 emissions from lighting have dropped to 150 kg a year.

Mr Jha is now urging others to follow suit and get rid of their traditional light bulbs.

"In our climate-aware times, they represent an indefensible energy burden: up to 95 per cent of the electricity each bulb draws is wasted as heat," he said.

Consumers will eventually have no other choice than to buy energy saving light bulbs, as the EU recently embarked on a programme that will see inefficient bulbs removed from sale.