PL and T5 fluorescent lamps have not been sold new in Great Britain since February 2024. Many authorities and contractors bought stock before the deadline, and that stock is now running low. Our PLUE and T5UE are direct LED replacements that fit the existing lamp holder, so a sign can be converted at its next lamp change.
What changed
Most illuminated traffic signs and bollards in Great Britain use one of two fluorescent lamps: the compact, pin-based PL lamp or the T5 tube. Both contain mercury, and both could only be sold under exemptions in the RoHS regulations.
Under The RoHS (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/658), the exemptions for compact fluorescent lamps and T5 lamps used for general lighting expired in Great Britain on 1 February 2024. The exemption for special-purpose compact fluorescent lamps expired on 24 February 2025. Northern Ireland follows the EU dates, which fell in 2023. The Minamata Convention on Mercury has also agreed a worldwide phase-out of the remaining compact and linear fluorescent lamps in 2026 and 2027.
The regulations apply to lamps being placed on the market. Lamps already bought can still be fitted, and many authorities and contractors built up a stock of PL and T5 lamps in 2023 and early 2024 for that reason.
Stock is running low
More than two and a half years on, many of those stocks are close to running out. The fluorescent lamps still available are old stock, and they are becoming harder to find and more expensive.
Once a depot has no lamps left, a failed sign or bollard stays unlit until a lamp can be found or the fitting is replaced. An unlit sign is a safety and compliance problem, and replacing the whole fitting is a cost most maintenance budgets have not allowed for.
Direct LED replacements for PL and T5 lamps
We make LED replacements for both lamp types, designed for illuminated signs and bollards.
- PLUE replaces the fluorescent PL lamp. It runs at 3.5 W, is available with straight and twist connectors, and has an MTTF of 535,000 hours.
- T5UE replaces the fluorescent T5 tube. It fits the existing lamp holders, runs from mains or an existing magnetic ballast with no rewiring, comes in 225 mm and 300 mm lengths, and runs at 3.5 W, an energy saving of up to 85%.
Both are built on Direct Drive®, our driverless LED technology, so there is no driver or other wear-out component to fail. Payback is typically under two years. Both lamps are designed and manufactured in the UK, and we have sold more than 170,000 LED retrofit lamps for signs, bollards and beacons.
Because the lamp fits the existing holder, the change can be made during routine maintenance when a fluorescent lamp fails, without a new sign light, rewiring or an extra site visit.
- 3.5 W per lamp
- Payback typically under 2 years
- 0.1 W photocell standby
Integrated photocell
Most illuminated signs are switched on and off by a photocell on the fitting. Photocells are generally designed to fail in the on position, so that a fault leaves the sign lit. The drawback is that a failed photocell leaves a dusk-to-dawn sign lit around the clock, using energy through the day.
PLUE and T5UE are available with an integrated photocell. If the fitting’s photocell fails on, the lamp’s own sensor still switches the lamp off in daylight. The sensor draws 0.1 W on standby and is designed to last as long as the LEDs.
The integrated photocell also means a sign on a 24-hour circuit can be changed to dusk-to-dawn operation by fitting a new lamp. UMSUG charge codes for switching regime 100 are listed for both lamps.
Planning the change
Signs can be changed over during routine maintenance, with an LED lamp fitted each time a fluorescent one fails, or a whole route can be converted in one visit. Either way, the remaining fluorescent stock can be used up where it is still needed.
If you send us a schedule of the signs and bollards you look after, we will tell you which of our lamps fits each one, with or without the integrated photocell, and give you the wattages and UMSUG charge codes for your inventory. Call 023 8098 2022, email info@indolighting.com or get in touch through our website.
Sources: The RoHS (Amendment) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/658 (legislation.gov.uk); Minamata Convention on Mercury, COP-5 decision MC-5/4 (2023).
