RE: The compact fluorescent bulb thread from two days ago

[tridim]

I went out to buy some of the new "soft white" bulbs today and experienced severe empty shelf syndrome. Target was completely cleaned out, Lowes didn't have much of a selection, BigLots was cleaned out and Home Depot had exactly one pack of 75 watt equivalent bulbs left. I bought them.

What's the deal? Did TV tell everyone to go out and buy them or are people just wising up on their own? It's certainly good news that people are trying to save energy, but I probably burned about a gallon of gas just looking for my own precious 2-pack of CF bulbs.

BTW, the soft white bulbs look exactly like incandescent bulbs. My complaint was that CF bulbs were too white. Looks like they fixed the problem!

[LeftyMom]

1. An odd place to look, but have you called a health food store?

Ours always has them, at the same prices as all the other stores in the area (the public utility here subsidizes them, so they're about a buck a bulb for the basic ones almost everywhere.)

[Bluzmann57]

2. Use the phone

that way, you won't burn any gas at all. Yeah, you'll probably be on hold for a friggin' hour, but if you use a land line, you won't have to worry about using hours on the cell.

[ginnyinWI]

3. it's an investment well spent

We put them in three years ago when we moved into this house, and they're still going strong. Come to think of it, some of them were from the old house, so they are even older.

[etherealtruth]

10. Have been using them for several years as well ...

Like you ... a good investment

[Midlodemocrat]

4. I got mine at Costco. If you have one near you, they are really cheap.

[tridim]

14. I was there the other day and they only had "cool white" bulbs

[Delphinus]

5. Funny you say they were too white!

I made sure all of mine (which I replaced last year) were the kind that simulate sunlight. And I love 'em!

[tridim]

11. I'm just used to yellow-ish light

It's a personal preference.

[wtmusic]

15. Me too

but I tried the new bulbs, and they've come a long way--no flicker, light is a "softer" color, and they generate very little heat.

They use about 1/4 the energy and last a long time.

[tabatha]

6. petition

This was sent out a couple days ago:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/916022327?z00...


by the folks at:

http://www.care2.com /

[DODI]

7. We bought ours thru our utility company for a $1 a piece.

The only draw back is you can only order 12 per year. So I will get the rest in January.
If you live in CT check this link:

http://www.energyfederation.org/smartliving/default.php...

If not, check you utilities web page.

[skids]

8. What great news!

I haven't noticed the same here but haven't been looking.

I've done a couple polls on DU and kos and found most people that answered already had CFs, except for the few holdouts who either hadn't tried one in ten years since back when they sucked, or a few who had some sort of power issue in their house that kept blowing them out.

Here's hoping that the petition, banthebulb.org, and other such endeavors raise awareness to a critical mass.

[jmowreader]

9. You know those things have mercury in them, right?

All fluorescent lights do--it's one of the things that makes them work.

When they finally burn out, find someplace that will take them for recycling; don't just throw them away.

[Mika]

12. The tungsten in regular bulbs is a toxic heavy metal also. n/t

[Deja Q]

13. And fluorescents (properly made ones) last for much longer.