I am off to Home Depot to buy some incandescent light bulbs. I plan on driving in 2nd or 3rd gear the entire way.

Eh. We use CFLs at home. It has noticeably cut the bill on a monthly basis.

I don't mind treating this planet right (it's morally a good thing, in my mind), I just don't like government ordering me to do so.

-Mark

I kindof like my neighbor's way of celebrating today... I think his chainsaw liked it too!

We use some CFL's. We have been for over three years. Our normal life expectancy on those used intermittently is about 12 months. We leave one on permanently outside and that is about 15-18 months (and it is damn dim when the temperatures reach 0°F. The bathrooms, with frequent use, but with short cycles, is about 6 months or a little more. At most we saw a $10 a month reduction in electric bills when we equipped the entire house with them. Now, as they burn out, I am replacing them with the appropriate 40 to 60 watt incandescent. By the way, the bulbs I purchased today were Sylvania and they ran $.87 per 4/pack. The CFL's were just a tad beyond that price. Besides, the incandescents I can throw in the trash when they burn out.

If I put my interior lighting on a moral basis I guess I would be burning olive or other bio-oil in a bronze lamp.

Yeah, the compact fluorescents save power, and they run cooler (though not as cool as I expected) which is nice when you want to put a brighter bulb in a light fixture that has a wattage limit warning.

But because they're expensive and fragile and have mercury in them, I'll be glad when LEDs (and whatever) make them obsolete soon. So I was pleased to see LED lamps at Sam's Club, supposedly with the light output of a 40W bulb. I bought a pack and was very disappointed -- looks more like a 15W night-light to me. I might even return them, and I never return anything.

LEDs aren't there yet in terms of technology.

I've had really good luck with my CFLs, but I'm careful on which ones I get (my wife hates ones that are too cold in color temperature). I've noticed about a $15 per month drop in our electrical bill. My entire bill is about $20 per month now (rent, not own...that's part of why the low cost). That more than covers the cost of the bulbs where we use them.

-Mark

Still use only incandescent bulbs...never used a CFL. Seen them at friends and don't like them. The color of the light just seems "off". I don't know if that varies by brand or not or what the deal is there.

But I refuse to use them just because I'm being told I have to. If not for that I probably would have at least tried them out.

I know someone who replaced all his bulbs at a sandwich shop with CFL's. Expensive and burned-out twice as fast. Very pissed!

I was in Menards, and paid for a bunch of them ...with CASH!8)
What you might do is figure out how often you replace a bulb (1 per month?) and determine your life expectancy and figure out how many you will need? Or stock up as an investment. The sale if "normal" bulbs is banned in 2012 (unless repealed).
By the way, did you ever wonder if there was a reason why April 22 was picked as earth day??
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3382

I've had fairly good success with CFLs. The first one I bought 8 years ago to put in a hard to reach stairway, still runs fine for many hours a day.

I've heard that they last longest if pointing down, but I've had some sideways mounted ones running for years.

Your power company may offer a rebate on them, in Rochester you can get half the purchase price back...

Happy Earth Day!

I've had real good luck with CFLs, except in on fixture which kills them for some reason, and the ones I have dimmers on. I use the 6 for $10 packs from the Depot.

That said, I thought this was hilarious...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=971zL01V ... re=related

and this answer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIULIJxV ... re=related