PURPOSE: To provide an emergency lighting device capable of ensuring the proper start of an electric discharge lamp even in low temperature state during the interruption of a commercial AC power supply.

CONSTITUTION: For lighting a fluorescent lamp FL with an inverter 3, a relay contact RyS3 is turned on, thereby charging a capacitor C11 gradually. In this case, a transistor Q11 is not turned on until the voltage of the capacitor C11 reaches the prescribed level. On the other hand, a transistor Q12 is turned on, thereby turning on light emitting diodes LED 11 and LED 12. Furthermore, photo transistors Q14 and Q16 are turned on and triode AC switches Q13 and Q14 are turned on, thereby shortcircuiting capacitors C5 and C6. Also, preheating current fed to filaments FL1 and FL2 increases, thereby facilitating the lighting of the fluorescent lamp FL. After the elapse of the preset time, the diodes LED 11 and LED 12 are turned off and the switches Q13 and Q15 are also turned off. As a result, filament preheating current flows via the capacitors C5 and C6, and decreases after the fluorescent lamp FL lights.