Should I turn the lights off when I leave the room even when using CFLs?

This is a question that I am asked on almost a daily basis and quite honestly I had no answer. I researched the question online, and below is a link to the best explanation I discovered.

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/04/07/when-to-turn-off-fluorescent-lights/

Basically the article says that there is no need to worry about how many times CFLs are turned on and off. If you are going to be away from the fixture more than 5 minutes, turn it off. There is concern that this will shorten the lifespan of the bulb, but it is not an important one.

One of the aspects of turning off lights that is not discussed in this article is the fact that when the light is off no electricity is being used. I know this seems like an all too obvious observation, but think of it this way; most of the electricity generated in the United States is done so by burning coal. For every kilowatt NOT used, less (or no) coal is burned. Even if you shorten the life of the bulb by repeatedly turning it off and on, it will still last longer and use less electricity than a normal incandescent bulb. When it is off it uses none!

Invariably, when CFLs are mentioned, the conversation will end up in a discussion of the hazards of mercury. CFLs do contain small amounts of mercury and special care is needed when disposing of them. But one of the main contributors of mercury in our environment is the burning of coal. I can’t give hard numbers, but I would imagine it would take more than a few broken CFLs to come anywhere near releasing the amount of mercury that a power company coal stack emits in an hour! When you leave the room, turn off the lights!

The CFL

                                                                    

The energy savings realized by replacing your existing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFLs) boils down to simple math. Even at the old price of $5 per bulb, a fixture that operates 10 hours per day will pay for itself in less than three months. But given today’s price of around $1 per bulb, it makes sense to replace those even in fixtures that are infrequently used. It may take a little longer for the simple pay back to be realized, but there is another hidden benefit of the CFL that these numbers don’t reflect.

When the government attempted to step in and mandate CFL usage they were met with stiff opposition. Faced with extinction, the companies that manufacture the 100 watt incandescent bulb found a new and legitimate use for their products and granted them a new name. They will now be known as “heat bulbs”. As a survivor of more than a few hot Georgia summers, this name itself tells me all I need to know about incandescent lighting!

Incandescent lighting produces light as a byproduct of producing heat. Only 5%-10% of the electricity used is transformed into visible light. How much harder will your air conditioner run just to combat the heat generated by the bedside lamp you read by each night? Multiply this by the lighting used throughout the home and you have measurable numbers. Why heat it up before you cool it down?

A CLF contains 5 milligrams of mercury, so a little extra care is required when cleaning up a damaged or broken CFL. Sweeping up the fragments with a paper towel and sealing them in a plastic bag is recommended when disposing of broken bulbs. Follow this procedure with diligent hand washing and you should be okay. Some studies show that you are actually exposed to larger doses of mercury when eating a tuna sandwich!

I replaced all forty bulbs in my home with CFLs over two years ago and I have had to replace only one! They produce cool light and last a very long time. With LED technology on the horizon pricing for CFLs has never been lower. It now makes sense to replace every bulb in your home!