An LED light bulb which lasts for 25 years and costs just 88p a year to run has gone on sale in the UK. The Pharox switches on instantly and its makers claim that it is the first low-energy bulb to give off the same light quality and brightness as a conventional 60-watt traditional bulb.

The downside is that it costs €31 and is still as dim as a rugby playing hillbilly whose family have been marrying their sisters for 14 generations. But the manufactures claim that it can save €10 a year off a typical household electricity bill.

The bulb is made up of frosted glass containing four white LEDs and two red ones. A single LED has a lifetime of 100,000 hours around 50 years if used continuously. This is reduced by regular switching on and off.