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Maryland is having a huge campain to get everyone to replace incandescent bulbs with the new energy saver kind. There is actually a big local scandal because they sent two bulbs to everyone to try and then later informed they were charging everyone $12 on their energy bills... We are following the saga locally in the paper to see what happens...

But, back to the subject... About three years ago, I replaced a large florescent business-office-like 6 foot rectangular bubble on my kitchen ceiling (what the builder put in all condos) with a much maller attractive ceiling fixture. I figured then and there I didn't want to be climbing up and down yearly to replace the bulbs and put in the new energy saver kinds as they say good for 9 or so years each. More out of laziness than being earth friendly/green.

Well, the past couple weeks, in light of all the controversy and feedback from folks (many who have replaced bulbs, have seen a savings in their eletric bills with them, and they are earth friendly), I've replaced all my easy to reach bulbs (all ground level lamps and lower hanging ceiling fans/dining room fixture). I'll get to my closet lights and hall lights as they burn as I'll need a step ladder for those. So, I am about 70% on the new energy efficient ones.

Just wondering if anyone else has done this. My friends did a couple months ago (changed out pretty much all in the house) and they really noticed a dip in their bill.

The only difference I notice with these is they take a second to react/turn on when the switch is flipped (some are immediate, some hesitate) and take about 30 seconds to warm up. They start dim and not long after are at full on strength. The light appears the same to me in the room, maybe a little brighter.

I found a six pack of GE "60 Watt" equivalent bulbs at 6 for $10 (actually burn at 13 Watts vs. 60 Watts). The ceiling fan bulbs were a little more (3 for $10), but they need to be "jiggle" proof from the fan movement. I hear you make the money spent back and then have saving savings overall. 6 for $10 isn't bad at all...
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)

I have not done it but will look into it. Any savings on bills makes me a happy person
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Tessa Onyx, Foudini, Charlee, Spottie, ShyRaven, Buddy, Tuxie, Widdle Attila Sipowitz, Lizzie, Minnie, ET, Mylo,(We be house cats at last), and Salem, Wicca and Marmalade (We iz also house cats, we guess)and the 5 porch kits also Riley da goggie and Buddha da baby hamster too
Tabitha and Samantha..always in our hearts//Fly free Penny 12/12/07
A house without cats is like a garden without flowers

We've already switched out most of our bulbs. We got them at Sam's Club and the price was actually lower than what we would pay for regular bulbs at the grocery.

I'm keeping the old bulbs in the bathroom. These seem to give a slight yellow glow, but it might be the cave effect of our living room, I not sure. The only problem is they back out of some light fixtures over time. We have to re-tighten them in the table lamps and in the garage, but we just put in new light fixtures in the kitchen last summer and never had a problem there. Hmmm....

Lots of talk about those bulbs here, too, but at least no one's sent them out and then billed us! ROLFMAO A woman even mentioned them in a church class last week! I have bought a couple of the "daylight" ones when they were on a buy-one-get-one-free. Have put one in a lamp we leave on but don't read by and in a ceiling hall light. Still not used to the delay when you flip a switch but then, I'm old and grumpy. They take some getting used to and seem darker, to me. Maybe I need to look for brighter. Will probably switch more as others burn out, though, in the interest of energy.

How interesting they back out on some fixtures, Elizabeth. I've had them in my kitchen ceiling fixture for about 3 years, but just recently in other lower fixtures. Haven't had a chance to back out yet, and I'm too lazy to climb up to check out the kitchen fixture. I'll keep an eye on the lower ones. Sounds like it might be with older fixtures in your case?

ThreeCalicos -- I got the normal incandescent replacements (not the "daylight" ones) and once they warm up, they are a bright white light like the other bulbs were. I don't notice a difference and they are brighter in some areas then the incandescents were.

I thought I heard that Pres Bush was signing a law to ban the manufacture of incandescents at some point. If you have a light you want incandescent, you may want to pick up a pack to be safe down the road.

I am OK with the delay and dimmness in most areas (getting used to it slowly), but think I might keep my closet lights, front inside entry light (right when you walk in at night), and hall light on normal incandescents. They are places I want to turn on and be bright when I go into. Not turn on and wait to go into a closet or walk down a hall...
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)

thought I heard that Pres Bush was signing a law to ban the manufacture of incandescents at some point. If you have a light you want incandescent, you may want to pick up a pack to be safe down the road.
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Boy there better be a long lead in time. Switching out table lamps and the like seems to be no big deal, but how many millions of us have the basic bar light fixture in the bathroom? I may not want to change to the high efficent bulbs in the bathroom because I don't need the assistance screwing up my make-up into a clown mask, but the twisted look of the bulb would be very unattractive. Many of us would wind up doing bathroom remodels just because of the light bulbs!

Boy there better be a long lead in time.

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I could have sworn I heard something about it on the news in the past week or so. But, I may have caught the tail end and not the full story... You are right. I have a couple areas I need immediate light. I don't want to turn my front entryway light on when I come in the front door and have to wait for it to warm up to enter the house -- or enter the house in dim light. Same with hallways. Who wants to wait 30 seconds or a minute to walk safely down a dark/dim hallway? Most lights, OK. But there are a couple in my house I want immediate light in for safety...
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)

We have done this to most of our lights starting last year. With my inner ear problem, apparently the brain has decided that my eyes are my compensating senses for balance. If the room is dark, I am completely off-balance and cannot even figure out where in the room I am. I've had a couple of close calls running into things, finding myself on the floor without realizing it, etc so we changed. My hsuband is the energy-efficient buff in the house - I just want light. You are correct in that it takes them a few moments to get to full strength but any light at all helps me out and I have gotten used to that.
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Boris's Human, Pam

Good idea re: stocking up on some of the regular bulbs for a couple of places!
As far as the other, the daylight bulbs do put off a whitish light; it just doesn't seem as bright to me. )Likely something to do with my brain and the delay plus older eyes.) I notice I mentally count when I flip the switch in the hall, just because I know it isn't going to be instant light.
Had to change a bulb in the garage last night. After I'd done it, realized I should have put one of the new ones out there so guess I'll be climbing back on the stool to reach it.
At any rate, it will be one of those things that we all adjust to over time.

Hmmmmmmm, well, as usual,here in the back of beyond, this is the first I've heard of these new bulbs..guess i will have to look into it..do they really last that long. I've noticed the life of regular bulbs seems to have decreased greatly in the past few years. Seems like I'm always changing bulbs somewhere...
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PHTessie