CFL Facts and Myths

This page revised January 8, 2010

There is increasing interest in replacing incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) as one means of reducing energy consumption and the generation of greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming.  One example of this is that legislators in both California and Australia have proposed bills that would ban the use of incandescent lamps.

On the flip side, consumers have raised a number of questions and concerns regarding the operation, use, and safety of CFLs. These range from the perception of poor color, concerns about flickering, questions about the life of CFLs when they are turned on and off frequently, questions about the performance of CFLs used outdoors in cold weather and concerns about the mercury used in fluorescent lamps and their proper disposal.

The goal of this site is to provide answers to a wide range of questions about CFLs in a Question & Answer format.   The site does not recommend or discuss specific products or manufacturers.  Most of the information provided should be useful to consumers and other CFL users in any country, though some answers may be specific to users in the United States.   A link at the bottom of the page can be used by readers to provide feedback and we will use that feedback to improve and update the Q&A. That same link can be used to ask questions, which will be individually answered as time permits.

This site is provided as a service by
Roberts Research & Consulting, Inc., a lighting technology consulting firm based in New York State.  It is not affiliated with or supported by any other organization.

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Comments about this site or questions about CFLs can be submitted by clicking  Individual questions can be answered only as time permits.