I initially thought I would put a compact fluorescent in every light socket and save money. Well it really wasn’t that noticeable because of the larger electric appliances, but every bit of energy savings counts and I managed to put fluorescent lighting in the areas that get used most often. A little experimentation went a long way in figuring out what type and size bulbs to put in various areas of the house.
Compact fluorescent bulbs use roughly one quarter the electricity required by an incandescent bulb of equal brightness. The fluorescent replacement for a particular wattage incandescent will tend to be a little brighter, larger in size, and about seven times as expensive. The lifetime of a fluorescent will just about make up for the cost so you are basically paying the same price for a more efficient source of light.
It turns out that some compact fluorescent bulbs are not as compact as others, mostly due to differences in wattage. If you buy one bulb of a commonly used wattage you can go around your house and see exactly where it will fit. Desktop lamps with shades that sit on a metal support are good candidates for fluorescent conversion. Be aware, however, that most compact fluorescent bulbs should not be used in a three-way socket. Circular fluorescent tubes are available for lamps that have a three way switch. I was able to get a circular three-way fluorescent to fit inside a larger table top lamp by taking the shade holder out of its slots, tightening the circular bulb to the point where the shade holder would line up and then re-installing the shade holder.
Some rooms are better suited for fluorescent light than others. If a room is painted with warm colors, the fluorescent light will not seem as “cool”. If you have a lampshade that not only lets plenty of light through but is also warm in color, your lamp will be more enjoyable and practical. Bring your lamp to a shop and try on some different shades to see what you like.
Compact fluorescent are available with higher “color temperature” if you like a more warm light. The warm color bulbs that I purchased were a bit more expensive and take a few seconds to come to full brightness. I put them in the bathroom to avoid being instantly blinded with bright light when I have to go late at night. They also happened to be shorter than my non-color corrected fluorescent bulbs which would have been too long for the bathroom light housing.
Be aware that fluorescent lighting may generate noise that might interfere with short wave radio or cordless telephones.