Energy-saving light bulbs have melted, blown and stopped working after only three weeks, Dunedin residents have reported.
After an article ran in the Otago Daily Times yesterday about an energy-saving bulb catching fire, at least 10 other residents rang with their stories.
Kathy Richards, of Andersons Bay, said one of her bulbs blew about a month ago and left a black mark on the bulb and surrounding area.
A Taieri Mouth man said he bought energy-saving bulbs from The Warehouse during last year's energy-saving campaign, but they both blew out after three weeks of being used for about 12 hours a day.
Tim Wyeth, a former electrical retailer, said there were often secrets about light bulbs.
He used the example of a halogen bulb which exploded upon use, but said the electrical componentry in energy-saving bulbs was sometimes faulty.
The Energy Safety Service said it had no reports of the bulbs causing fires in homes and that bulbs were subject to strict safety requirements.
Most of the bulbs were made in China.
The Fire Service in Dunedin said "several" people had come in with energy-saving bulbs which had caught fire.
