When I first switched to compact fluro light globes I wasn’t sure if it was better to turn a light on or leave it off when you leave the room for a few minutes.

I’d heard that compact fluros chew up a lot of energy when they’re first turned on and I thought there might be some truth to this given the time taken by the “warming up” process of compact fluros. It turns out that this is a misconception…

The folks over at Environmental Defense answer the question and show that the energy required for a compact fluro equates to a few seconds worth of energy - i.e. very little - meaning you can turn them off and on again regularly without worrying too much. Read the article for more info.