places less Evil than wall mart also sell these bulbs. home depot, for one, lowe's for another.

I bought a bunch of these at riteaid in Morristown, Nj this week; they have some sort of special packaging that says the cost is being picked up by Gov. Codey (!) and some sort of clean energy group. I don't know if they are at every riteaid in NJ, but the price was $1.49 per bulb, instead of the normal $10.

Wish someone would find a way for these to work on dimmer switches.

I wonder why it is they can't be shaped like a regular bulb. Is the coil the energy saving secret?

We have switched to these bulbs too, and so far we love them (aside from their nutty aesthetic). They last much longer than regular bulbs, which was my primary concern because we get sick of hauling the chair out to the front porch to change the light out there, or getting ladder out to change the bulbs in the garage. I've also found them other places besides Walmart so if you have a fundamental issue with them, look elsewhere.

http://www.1000bulbs.com/products.php?cat=Dimmable-Compact-Fluorescent-Light-Bulbs

There are dimmable CFLs - haven't tried them myself, though. Check out specialty lighting stores...

I have mostly switched to these. The other day I discovered that two in the kitchen have already burned out, and of course I didn't save the receipt. That better not keep happening, given the high cost (even at Wal-Mart) and the slow start-up.

You can find dimmer bulb options via environmentaldefense.org (they have a "find a bulb" page, with a few dimmable options).

From what I've read and experienced with these bulbs, the best use for them is in locations where they will stay on for long periods of time. Using them in locations like a kitchen, where you turn them on and off constantly will lessen their life span.

A lot of places sell them, yes, but WalMart is making a big push to get people to actually BUY them, which is a lot more than Loewe's and Home Depot are doing. Even though the bulbs have been on the market for ages and the potential environmental/savings impact is huge, people are still ignorant about them and WalMart is actively trying to change that, which is good for everyone. This was the gist of the article.

I don't love or shop at WalMart, but they do deserve kudos for stepping up and promoting the bulbs.

I have a dimmable bulb on the lamp next to my bad and it's works just fine. The biggest difference is that you can only down to about 20% of the lumens. Below that, it flickers. BTW, I also bought it at Home Depot or Target or something comparable. I didn't have to special order it.

I use a dimmable CFL in my kitchen. You can't dim it as much as incandescents, but you can dim it. My main problem is that it sometimes flickers in a really annoying way when it is dimmed (i.e. at anything other than full power). I also don't like that it takes a few minutes to "warm up" to full strength.

I'd love to replace my overhead lights with these, but until they can actually be dimmed well without flickering, come on to full strength in less than 30 seconds, and don't cast weird temperature light I'll stick with my incandescents.

Does anyone have recommendations for CFL bulbs that are comparable to normal light bulbs in terms of the color of light they give off? I want to switch because of the energy savings, but I am really hesitant to do it if the light is going to be ugly.

see the LED bulbs at www.ccrane.com - they lool like the light is a little nicer...

http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/121506/green-ideas/energyefficient-bulbs-015828

There was an active thread on AT - SF a while ago. I kinda wrote a lot about my adventures in CFLs...

Basically, if you're picky about the quality of your lighting and gung-ho about switching to CFLs, I'd recommend that you find a store with a good return policy. Try different bulbs from different brands and various wattages and see if you can find one you like. Then go buy a case of bulbs after figuring it out.

I'm planning to check out the NVision bulb they sell at HomeDespot.

I want to use these, but I hate the light from them. Much weaker and a weird color. Terrible for reading.

Last week I watched Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and ran out and bought my first CFLs the next day, at Home Depot on 23rd St. One 60-watt bulb was $6.79, but a 4-pack cost $7.79, which was hard to believe but reduced the cost-per-bulb dramatically. It's tricky to figure out which kind to get though--the ones at Home Depot come in soft, daylight and bright. Hopefully with practice/experience we'll all figure it out.

This article sounds like CFL's are kind of new to the US, or at least to US thinking. Is that the case? Here in Canada, there are WAY more CFLs available in stores than incandescents. Most people here have already pretty much converted completely to CFL. Interesting how things can be so different between two neighbours.

I have bulbs from IKEA that are flourescent but look (shapewise) like regular bulbs. ( I tried to find an example online, but can't...I'll update with a part number when I get home) Yes, they're dimmer and take a moment to come into full "bloom" but what's the hurry? If we changed out all but one lamp, and used that one lamp only for reading or detail work we could really screw it to the utility folks (she says from her desk in the basement of an office building at an oil refinery (from which she is trying to escape - trust me!)). Also, Ikea will allegedly take back burned out bulbs (as well as batteries) for recycling. None of mine have burned out yet, so I haven't really look into this.

The last time I was in the student union at Florida State University, they used compact fluorescents in the recessed lighting. They solved the color problem by having brass-colored baffles. It worked really well; the color was warm and chic. I imagine would could achieve the same effect with the inside of lampshades.

I've tried the kind IKEA sells. They cast a most unflattering hue on the complexion. Very cirrhosis chic.

Julie--

These are fluorescent lights like the big tubes in offices. The light bulbs are coiled like that because they have to fit that tube structure in roughly the same space as an incandescent.

Incandescents are shaped that way to give them a roughly spherical structure (as you notice, the element really doesn't dictate the shape). This is to distribute forces (like an arch) so you can screw and unscrew them without having to worry about the bulb shattering. I'm sure the shape also helps in evenly distributing light.

What a no brainer. I use these for general lighting and standard bulbs for tasks. This works well in my work area and in the kitchen when I'm heads down in those respective areas. The downside to this is that CFL's are terrible for lighting art. With that said, I use halogens for that application but don't fire them up unless company is over. Yes - I do know that the UV output from halogen's is not great for sensitive works in watercolor or acrylic - but this is all about best compromises.

Laurie - do you have experience with the 'daylight' Home Depot bulbs in particular? Our apt. does not get that much natural light and we have found the GE "Reveal" bulbs really make a difference in the light and our moods too. I'd love to switch to CFB's but only if they look the same or very similar to Reveal or other full spectrum bulbs. What do you think?

I think that the CFL bulbs have gotten MUCH better. Most of the ones I have in my place are very close to incandescent color rendering. That said, it's also about making adjustments to your expectations--we put daylight CFLs in our bathroom and at first everything looked a bit blueish. Took some time to get used to, but if you think about it, daylight is in fact quite blue (on a sunny day) due to the reflection of the sky, and I think most would agree that daylight is rather pleasant. It's just that we expect to see yellow-ish light inside our houses at night so it looks funny.

FYI:
A quick lesson in the color of lighting sources:
The color temperature of light (the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum) is measured in degrees Kelvin. Nominal daylight is 5500 degrees Kelvin. This is "full spectrum light". Nice warm cozy incandescent light is 2700-3000 degrees Kelvin. So when looking at the CFL packages try to find the lower numbers (ie. 2700) for a lamp that has the traditional pleasing warm glow of incandescent light.

Windwolf, I believe that "daylight" is usually measured as 6500K (at least it is for video reference).

I'm hoping that I can find a nice set of dimmable CFL floods with wide angles and around 2700K. This would allow me to replace my most energy hungry bulbs. So far I've yet to find any that look decent, but I'm hoping there will soon be some good ones.

You can get all sorts of CFLs, including CFL floodlights at your local Costco. They usually run about $3-4 each I think. I have 25 or so recessed light sockets and another 15 or so other light fixtures and shopped at Costco to replace all my lights w/ CFLs. Saves a bundle on the energy bill.

As an interior designer, I get a lot of questions about these. The quality of light is not warm enough for most people in their homes. Also they tend to alter colors of interior spaces. Paint is effected, wall paper, window treatment.

Hallways, OK, exterior: great! Great for transition spaces, basements....

But for bathrooms kitchens, or for task lighting like for reading lamps: terrible.

My clients sometimes try them and then change them back to regular household bulbs when they want softer light for living.

Many of my clients prefer full spectrum lights. The expensive ones you can get at health food stores are even softer than the GE ones

I am all for saving the environmental...but like everything else, they have their place. it's all about balance. That being said, it's dark out, and guests are coming over, so I'll put on the CFL by the front door.

Max-
We are both right. The difference is in how the human eye interprets and how the camera eye interprets. What I do with lighting design in the live theatre is not exactly the same as what I do for the camera.

"Many of my clients prefer full spectrum lights. The expensive ones you can get at health food stores are even softer than the GE ones"

Aren't full spectrum bulbs, by definition, not soft?

Jenny, a Good Question back in July 2006 explored how to buy CFLs:
<A href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-non-killer-fluorescent-bulbs-010936">http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-non-killer-fluorescent-bulbs-010936</A>

I'm not sure why CFLs one sees are typically twisty, but I know Philips for one offers CFLs shaped like incandescent light bulbs: <A href="http://www.nam.lighting.philips.com/us/consumer/marathon/energysaver.php?mode=2">http://www.nam.lighting.philips.com/us/consumer/marathon/energysaver.php?mode=2</A>
I can't say for sure how these Philips perform, as I haven't purchased them yet. But I'm willing to pay extra for nicer looking bulbs.

I found Maxlite bulbs (from websites like bulbs.com) which start up instantly at about 80% brightness and reach full within 10-20 seconds, almost not noticable. IKEA bulbs are terrible, 1-2 sec startup, enough to give cfl's a bad name.

I use warm-white (2700K) bulbs and the color rendition is quite good, I'd say if you have a multi-light fixture, use these with one 40w incadescent and it looks fine. Imo full spectrum bulbs are terrible, quite blue and harsh.

Btw, many cfl's don't work well with timers or light-sensors (turn on at dusk for example) and will burn out quite soon. Again, I have multi-light fixtures outside, and a single 15w incandescent along with the cfl's makes it work fine - the incand. ensures the sensor turns on crisply and with no flashing.

About the twistiness: cfl's are just miniatuarized tube lamps, they need to be in that twisted form so they can be long enough. Note that higher wattages have more twists, thus length. Phillips merely encases the twisty tube in another glass envolopre, thus decreasing efficiency to make it look normal

Archie,

By soft I just meant the warmer quality of the light. Not the light output or the color of the light. My clients don't always use the technical words for things. They say soft. Then I get used to saying it too.

We have literally bought different brands and compared. It really matters to some people what the light feels like and what it looks like.

Full spectrum can be a bit pink sometimes (I prefer brighter light in a bathroom for example) I wouldn't put a CFL in the bathroom, cuz it's harsh, but one of the best bathroom products on the market is by Robern and it's fluorescent....

I digress.

AK

I'm a total convert to these bulbs - my electric bills have literally gone down by half! As for the color of light they give off, the particular ones I get give light that, to me, looks like that from regular light bulbs - even better, actually, since I always thought many regular old light bulbs gave off a sickly yellowish color.

The CFL bulbs I have now give off a "whiter" light - and it doesn't look like the grim light from those long fluorescent ceiling lights they always had in school that seemed like part of a conspiracy to make us all appear less attractive and get us to concentrate on our studies rather than one another's beauty. But I digress...

I usully get Philips brand in various wattages (the regular curly kind b/c in my apt. they are hidden by shades/fixtures anyway).

I have been using them for about three years, and they have reduced my electric bill considerably. I had originally bought just a couple of them, but have since bought them for all over my apartment. The newer ones, depending on the quality of the brand, give off decent, better quality light, without any flickering or wait time for them to come on. I think they have improved overall, but I do recommend that you buy quality name brands rather than the generic.

In Australia there has been a strong program of the supply of free CFL bulbs and water efficient showerheads, often sponsored by energy retailers, the private industry and by additional grants from the government through the Community Abatement Assistance Program (CAAP). What a great way to encourage uptake. See programs such asThe Daily Telegraph and Fridge BuyBack.

Is there a full-spectrum CFL?

So, what's the deal with people having issues with the way the bulbs themselves look? How much time do you spend looking at your lightbulbs rather than at other things in the light they cast? Personally, I prefer not to stare at them as it hurts my eyes, but to each their own I guess.

I've been using either these twisty ones or these natural spectrum bulbs I get from bed bath & beyond for a while now and am a fan of both. The BB&B bulbs are the typical bulb shape but are purple - the light they cast is nice & natural seeming to me. I can't remember the details but there's some reason I'm under the impression that the BB&B ones are better for the environment, but maybe it's just supposed to mimic natural light. I also can't remember the company name, so this may not be much use to anyone, sorry. (I'm at the office under awful fluorescents and I'm blaming that for my total lack of memory on this). I can't find them on their website but that doesn't surprise me as I typically find their site all but useless...
They last forever too - I've never done a comparison test to see which last longer, but regardless I don't change bulbs a lot.

Evil or not, the publicity for these bulbs is great. It has been always hard to change customer behavior. Hopefully understanding the the savings, both in the short term and long term (dollar/environmental), will make peopl switch -- some if not all their light bulbs to CFL. But the industry needs to create a solid disposal/recycling program that is easy to the consumer.

I switched and will not buy any more traditional bulbs -- why pay 2/3 more in energy and continue to damage our environement.

Too bad the U.S. does not take up programs like the one in Australia!

I have the 100-watt equivalent Sylvania Daylight CFLs in all my lights. Even when its gray and snowy outside, it feels like a bright summer day inside. The department head at Lowes I talked to said it might be awhile before they start carrying a wide variety of CFLs (dimmable, etc) because sales of their current stock are still behind sales of the normal incandescents.
It's hard to make energy efficiency a standard when there are so many people that would still rather choose inefficient and initially-cheap over good-for-the-environment with a long-term pay-off. If we can't even convince people to shell out a few more bucks for a better light bulb, how will we ever convince them to spend the initial investment in the bigger things like hybrid cars, energy efficient appliances, alternative home energy sources (solar panels etc).

But that's fine. Just change one bulb.
"In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads." (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/108/open_lightbulbs.html)

Don't wait around for the "perfect" CFL. Just change one bulb.