Do you use energy saving lightbulbs in your home?

I use a few, but most of the bulbs in my house are still incandescent. I have the necessary energy saver bulbs in my possession to replace them all, but I'm doing it as older bulbs burn out.

I have tried the energy saver lightbulbs without much success. The ones I used did not seem to last much longer than the usual kind. I would be delighted to use them if someone would recommend a brand they have been happy with. Our utility bills are quite low so I hope we are making up for this with other conservation methods.

I tried to use them but they gave me a headache unless I wore an aluminum-foil hat.

I used to. Then I noticed that they don't last as long as the Long Life light bulbs, and worked out that, even here in New England where electricity is expensive, the cost for light bulbs and electricity was the same either way, so decided to switch to Long Life and save pain in the ass (and landfill space).

I have had excellent experience with the life span of the energy saver bulbs I've used (the compact fluorescent kind). I had one burning almost continuously for nearly four years before it burned out. Incandescent ones don't even come close in this respect. Alas, I don't remember the brand.

Part of my kind of likes the "flicker, flicker, flicker, pause, voila" that happens when I flick the kitchen light on. It reminds me of Blade Runner.

I have also had great success with my energy saver (the compact fluorescent kind) bulbs. I don't think one has ever burnt out on me. I think I got mine for free from the electric company (they had pity on me for having electric heat).

I also use the compact fluorescent bulbs.

I try to buy energy savers whenever I can. My SO and I are also rather anal about turning off lights that are not in use. To the point that he'll turn a light off in a room that I only left for a moment :)

I really dislike fluorescent light for pretty much anything, but especially reading and sewing. I could possibly have a fluorescent light in the kitchen and bathroom, but not elsewhere.
I'd rather have flame-light (lantern or candles) than fluorescent.

My dad used to get mad at me for turning off lights for just a little while, because he says that turning them on and off uses more energy than just leaving them on. Is that really true?

pandora: That's not true for incandescents. For halogens, while power cycling does not use more energy it does reduce the life of the bulb. I don't know what the story is with flourescents.

We had one, it lasted a long time and then eventually burned out, and we've been too lame to replace it.

Turning lights on and off will use less power than leaving them on (this is pretty much true for any kind of lights). Turning any incandescent life on and off frequently will reduce the life of the bulb substantially, though, and if you think about the energy it takes to make the bulbs (refining tungsten and so on), you can figure out that doing it a lot is a losing proposition. I don't know where the break-even point is for different kinds of bulbs. I'm not sure, but I think the same life-shortening thing does apply to fluorescents.

pandora: I read, some time back, that if you are going to be back in a room within 10 minutes, leave the light burning, otherwise, turn it off.

We just burn seal oil in lamps. And, old books too, when we run out of baby seals. I find that the French Romantics burn the brightest, but the German Rationalists give the best light.

pandora - I wonder where that myth got started. My mom thought ( and may still think ) the same thing. It's utter BS!
michael, 46? (there are only 34 voters as I read this)

I think he means 12 out of 46 lightbulbs in his house. Maybe not. It's hard to tell what some people are talking about at any given moment...

jen: hey, I ran around the house counting all the plants the other day!

They are very expensive here, otherwise I'd use them more often