Reply #28: I use fluorescent lighting exclusively, [View All]

[necso]

except for the back porch (deck) light, which is too exposed as-built (it's an old shack), and not worth the trouble/cost of replacing, considering how little I use it (maybe half-a-dozen times a year for a few minutes).

I've never paid more than a dollar a "bulb" (I shop carefully) in recent years (someone posted recently about great prices at Costco, I believe (don't have a membership?; maybe a friend does) -- but this may vary), and there was a noticeable decrease in my electrical bill when I switched over (years ago). The bulbs last for years (although I've had a few "lemons"), so you can save on bulb costs as well as on electricity, if you get a good-enough price.

Generally, people don't have a problem with "flash" from compact fluorescents, although I replaced the old bulbs in an SO's house, and she complained that the CFLs were making her irritable. (But, um, that wasn't it.)

Something as simple as opening/closing drapes/windows (think of sunscreens for cars) can help with regulating lighting and with lowering heating and cooling costs. (Although the desired ends can conflict, as when there's direct sunlight on a window and it's hot outside. And the sun can damage things it shines on too much, even through a window.)

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With regular fluorescents (long bulbs), there are various light-spectrums available, including something like sunlight, and other options, which make these more attractive to some.