Thanks for the info here, Paul! It's worth noting here that, due to a very small amount of mercury they contain, used compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) "are considered household hazardous waste" and "the best way to recycle them is to save them and take them to a household hazardous waste collection facility or a collection event where they’re accepted along with materials such as paint, pesticides and other household chemicals." There is info on this on the Energy Star site here.

There is a hoax going around via e-mail and some blogs saying that a broken CFL requires a $2,000 professional cleanup. This is a lie. Info on that at hoax-slayer.com.

Okay, I try to be green where possible. I compost, grow a lot of my own fruits and vegetables, recycle, use low-VOC paint, etc. And most of all, I try to just buy less stuff.

But one thing I cannot stand are compact flourescent lights. The light spectrum of CFLs is totally different than "regular" light bulbs -- sort of a washed out, bluish green that makes me want to squint. I had dinner at a friend's house the other night and he uses CFLs for every light. I spent the entire evening feeling like I was in a scene from Requiem for a Dream.

I never hear this talked about. Am I the only one who just can't stand these things? Is anyone working to make them in a light spectrum that comes close to reality?

(Off topic.....Does anyone know why my personal information that I'm required to put in before posting a comment isn't remembered when I ask for it to be? I keep having to re-enter it....ugh.)

I must say that my dealings with The Energy Trust of Oregon have been excellent and that I've been able to save plenty of $$$ by purchasing products that they have rebates for.

Miles, I know what you're talking about. You just need to try a few different brands. Some CFLs are natural spectrum. I tried 3 or 4 different brands before I found one that I could live with. I'd tell you the brand name, but I can't remember and I'm still at work.

As a frugal consumer with more knowledge than the average Joe when it comes to construction and energy efficiency, I must confess that I have yet to make the move to compact fluorescent bulbs inside my home. I find the light they emit most unpleasing, they come with a steep price tag and contain mercury. I'll call my well insulated home with newer windows, efficient appliances and my personal comfort zone of 65-80 degrees good while resisting inferior lighting technology. They make a good porch light, but that's about it.

I've been buying 'those bulbs' in Winco and other markets....every once in a while they have stacks of them for .99 cents. I actually prefer their light. At least it is easier for me to read by a light in the LR which ws too glaring or shadow-y with the old bulbs. I have now replaced every light bulb in my home. Since we work from home and are here using energy all day long, I have noticed a difference in my electrical bill. didn't think it would make that much difference but it does.

Brian This is why i posted the information about the sale--at 99 cents apiece (with a seven year lifespan), these are a LOT cheaper than incandescent bulbs.

I just got a four pack of the "dome" type lights for our basement--these are priced at $3.49 per bulb, almost exactly the same as the incandescent.

Miles, I've heard that, but we put them in lights with shades and in overheads that have frosted shades and really don't notice the difference.

But look, my point here is just that at 99 cents apiece, go try a six pack. What can it hurt? And I'm sure you have some lights that are low usage (closets, basement) or where the "bluish" tint won't matter (e.g. outside lights).

I put fluorescents into our porch lights when we moved into our house four years ago, these are left on all night every night, and they are still going strong.

I'm an energy engineer, and I've switched to CFLs throughout my house except for circuits that use dimmers. I've kept track of my energy use since summer 2000, and I know that CFLs do reduce my electrical use!

They are especially helpful in summer, when the heat from lights and appliances makes your air conditioner work harder (if you have one) or makes you lose your cool faster (if you don't have air conditioning).

If the thought of global warming makes you want to buy air conditioning for your house, maybe you should try CFLs first. CFLs (and a few other things that keep you from losing your cool in summer) might save you a big expense for add-on air conditioning. I don't have A/C, and don't need it. My house almost never gets hotter than 75 F inside on hot summer days.

I'm more careful about things like turning off un-needed lights & appliances (for example computer, monitor) and cooking outside during summer than winter. It works.

During winter, using CFLs shifts heating load from your lights to your furnace, which is a good thing if you have gas heat or a heat pump. In either case, CFLs will lower your combined lighting & heating bill, save you money, and reduce your greenhouse gas footprint.

Chris, the maximum Wattage ratings on most light fixtures refer to incandescent bulbs and the heat (think fire hazard)they produce. A 23 Watt CFL that puts out as much light as a 100 Watt incandecent bulb is OK to use in a fixture rated for "60 watts maximum".

Les

I have long been skeptical about CFLs, but recently contacted the Energy Trust for an audit. The purpose of the audit was to try to get some help replacing insulated windows that had failed.

The auditor was helpful in that respect but the thing he was really interested in was replacing my incandescents. I let him have at it and virtually every bulb in the house was replaced except for a couple of halogens or dimmer-fed incandescents.

It took a while to get used to them. They are dim for the first few minutes, you don't want to flip them off and on a lot, etc.

I have to tell you I have been really impressed with the results. The first full month of use, our electricity usage over same month 2006 was down about 15%. Now I don't know if that was a result of other factors or what, only time will tell. But I'm a convert nonetheless.

I have long been skeptical about CFLs, but recently contacted the Energy Trust for an audit. The purpose of the audit was to try to get some help replacing insulated windows that had failed.

The auditor was helpful in that respect but the thing he was really interested in was replacing my incandescents. I let him have at it and virtually every bulb in the house was replaced except for a couple of halogens or dimmer-fed incandescents.

It took a while to get used to them. They are dim for the first few minutes, you don't want to flip them off and on a lot, etc.

I have to tell you I have been really impressed with the results. The first full month of use, our electricity usage over same month 2006 was down about 15%. Now I don't know if that was a result of other factors or what, only time will tell. But I'm a convert nonetheless.

I dislike the light given off by CFLs. I have tried different types, they are all bad.

I wanted to use one in my porch light, but as soon as it got cold the CFL stopped working. I noticed on the packages in the stores that the vast majority say not to be used where temperature is below about 35. Any ideas.

Also, I have yet to meet anyone who uses CFLs who takes the old ones to a hazardous waste collection site. Is it time to place a deposit on them?

<h2>Recently, Fred Meyer was selling CFLs for 99c. each. I went wild and bought 4 dozen (they make great gifts for friends!). I have replaced nearly every light in my house (except for my guitar workshop room, where I need stronger lighting), and I am quite happy with the results- I must have gotten lucky, because I don't notice much difference, other than sometimes they seem dimmer than at other times...now I don't know what to do with a bunch of slightly used incandescants!</h2>