What would it take to make you choose to buy and use a CFL over a standard incandescent bulb?

Question

The energy savings over the life of the CFL are amazing, and more than offset the initial cost, but people can't seem to give up the incandescent...

Answer 1

it is funny all the people who worry about an insignificant amount of mercury in CFLs, while are probably teh same folks supporting teh Bushadmin killing mercury emission standards, that actually caused problems.
then there is the hoax story about it costing a fortune to clean one up which they belive like it were true.
sad sad sad.


flicker and hum from fluoros, are usually caused by bad ballasts, not the bulbs themselves.
the only thing it took for me to decide to buy them, is the cheaper electric bill.

Answer 2

I simply took the earth day challenge and have decided to replace all my bulbs with CFLs. I own a restaurant and have at least 100 bulbs, plus the ones in my home, so I feel I am making a big step in helping reduce my energy demands by changing all these bulbs. Hopefully, as more people buy them, they will become less expensive. Regardless, I have become committed to purchasing these bulbs as a small measure in making a personal effort to help.

Answer 3

I'm just sick of tossing out light bulbs every 4 months. The new CFLs are supposed to last 5 years. So, instead of tossing out 15 incandescents at 49c each, I toss out I CFL at $5. (Well, I don't toss it... there's a collection bin for them at my office for proper disposal.) Energy savings are nice... but saving money on the actual bulbs is great too.

Now, if they were more widely available for different types of fixtures, I would buy more of them.

Answer 4

Using compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) actually reduces mercury pollution.

Fossil fuels contain mercury. Using incandescent bulbs causes more mercury to be emitted from power plants. More than is in a CFL.

It's better if you dispose of old CFLs properly so that even the tiny amount of mercury is not released. But, no matter how they're disposed of, CFLs reduce mercury pollution.

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/sustainable/Powerplay%20articles/16Powerplay.Mercury.CFL.html

Answer 5

I switched, because you can get CFL bulbs that are daylight bulbs cheaper than Incandescent daylight bulbs, they also last longer and provide better brighter lighting. I got a pack of 4 for $15 at Home Depot. So why not save the earth and have nice natural blue toned light.

but i relly want a LED bulb, thay look awasome.

Answer 6

I would like to replace most of the bulbs in my house with the CFLs and probably will over the summer when I have extra money, but I really like my 3-way bulbs in my bedside lamp and in the living room, I like a dimmer light sometimes.

Answer 7

They do make dim-able CF Ls, and three way bulbs as well. They are significantly more expensive than the standard bulb. I am making the conversion, and am in a room lit by them now. They are not flickering, or buzzing.
I am also making the switch to LED Christmas lights. This will save a tremendous amount for us, as we get a a bit carried away.

Answer 8

Nothing could make me buy a CFL. Check out the amount of mercury used in these bulbs. Talk about bad for the environment! Eventually people will have to start throwing out old CFL's and the amount of mercury that will need to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner is amazing!!!

Answer 9

I have some.What would make me choose to buy and use more CFL bulbs is seeing my first couple of electric bills.I have seen those bills now,and I am amazed at how much I saved!They are not at all like fluorescents.

Answer 10

They probably believe some of the negative garbage about the and others are too cheap to buy them. I'v got a 100 watt that uses only 26 watts of power and it's been on and off for over 2 years..It's my primary light.