Woolworths’ move puts them ahead of Government plans, unveiled last week, to phase out the old bulbs by 2011.
It also bumps the retailer up Greenpeace’s lightbulb league table, alongside Asda, the Co-op, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
Woolworths had previously been towards the bottom of the table and subject to protests from the environmental lobbyists.
Greenpeace welcomed the move, but campaigner Louise Molloy said: “The retail industry must lobby the Government for a mandatory phase out of incandescent bulbs. A voluntary agreement just won’t be enough.”
In a letter to Greenpeace, Woolworths said: “We will not be selling incandescent light bulbs by the end of 2010.
“We will stop replenishing stock of incandescent light bulbs in 2010 to meet this pledge and as such sales in 2010 will be very low.”
