Do compact low energy bulbs have the same start-up surge as full size fluorescent tubes?

Question

If compact low-energy bulbs use a higher current to start them, I wonder if switching on and off when leaving and re-entering a room uses more energy than leaving them on the whole time. They also take a while to come up to full brightness each time they are switched on.

Answer 1

I thought this old question had been put to bed ages ago.

Any current surge at start-up is only observed during the first couple of half-cycles of the input voltage and makes no significant increase in the running cost.

Answer 2

With a much smaller ballast that is electronic in nature, the start up surge is much less. The amount of energy in the "surge" is ridiculously small. It used to be that leaving fluorescent lights on a lot was based on the stress caused by starting them shortening the life and the cost of the maintenance crew that had to replace them.
The full brightness thing has to do with the limited output ballast and is a nuisance. Remember that these things only use 13 watts to put out the lumens of a 60 watt incandescent.

Answer 3

Yes, they do have a power surge when starting up, and should only be used in rooms where the lights are left on for longer periods of time (living room, kitchen) and not in rooms where lights are turned on and off often (bathrooms, storage)