A few years ago, I chose to put every overhead (room) light on dimmers. At $30 each, I'd spent several hundred dollars on dimmers in each hallway, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, and dining room. They help me save electricity because I can set them to barely light a room, or give full brightness only when I need it. But they DON'T work with fluorescents at all. Not standard magnetic-ballasts nor CFLs. As a matter-of-fact, a CFL on the dimmer literally burns up.
I use motion sensors to activate fluorescent lights in the laundry room, the carport, and even the fluorescent security lights outside. Contrary to the advice of some, I use CFLs in both my refrigerator and freezer sections (why heat up the very space that you're trying to cool?) very effectively.
I use compact fluorescents in the table lamps, under the house, over the stove, in the attic, on the porch, and at my desk. In each of these applications, I either need the light ON or OFF, and I choose an appropriate brightness for the task.
Most of my lighting comes from fluorescents. But until someone comes up with one that's dimmable, they're not going in the ceiling fixtures. I sincerely applaud the efforts of anyone who thinks seriously about his or her energy consumption and makes practical changes in their home to drop their consumption and make what they DO consume do so more efficiently.
My own electric bill is 1/3 of what it was when I bought the house. I've doubled the insulation in the ceiling and floor, used dimmers, motion sensors, dropped the nighttime temperatures in the house, used electric mattress warmers instead of electric blankets, dropped the hot water temperature, insulated pipes, and other measures. Sure I'd like to do more, but I'm neither rich nor willing to live like a hermit.
If Llyod Levine were as bright as he thinks he is, he'd realize that fluorescents are fine for many jobs, LEDs are fine for many jobs too, but incandescents have their place as well. In some climates and locales, it might even be better to have incandescents which provide both light and heat than the colder fluorescents. And are there CFLs to light up the [living] Christmas tree next winter?
If incandescents are outlawed, only outlaws will have incandescents. Maybe I'll have to buy them in another state and import them to California.
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A few years ago, I chose to put every overhead (room) light on dimmers. At $30 each, I'd spent several hundred dollars on dimmers in each hallway, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, and dining room. They help me save electricity because I can set them to barely light a room, or give full brightness only when I need it. But they DON'T work with fluorescents at all. Not standard magnetic-ballasts nor CFLs. As a matter-of-fact, a CFL on the dimmer literally burns up.
I use motion sensors to activate fluorescent lights in the laundry room, the carport, and even the fluorescent security lights outside. Contrary to the advice of some, I use CFLs in both my refrigerator and freezer sections (why heat up the very space that you're trying to cool?) very effectively.
I use compact fluorescents in the table lamps, under the house, over the stove, in the attic, on the porch, and at my desk. In each of these applications, I either need the light ON or OFF, and I choose an appropriate brightness for the task.
Most of my lighting comes from fluorescents. But until someone comes up with one that's dimmable, they're not going in the ceiling fixtures. I sincerely applaud the efforts of anyone who thinks seriously about his or her energy consumption and makes practical changes in their home to drop their consumption and make what they DO consume do so more efficiently.
My own electric bill is 1/3 of what it was when I bought the house. I've doubled the insulation in the ceiling and floor, used dimmers, motion sensors, dropped the nighttime temperatures in the house, used electric mattress warmers instead of electric blankets, dropped the hot water temperature, insulated pipes, and other measures. Sure I'd like to do more, but I'm neither rich nor willing to live like a hermit.
If Llyod Levine were as bright as he thinks he is, he'd realize that fluorescents are fine for many jobs, LEDs are fine for many jobs too, but incandescents have their place as well. In some climates and locales, it might even be better to have incandescents which provide both light and heat than the colder fluorescents. And are there CFLs to light up the [living] Christmas tree next winter?
If incandescents are outlawed, only outlaws will have incandescents. Maybe I'll have to buy them in another state and import them to California.