Energy Saving Light-bulbs. Do they work?

I have been battling high electricity bills for as long as i can remember. I have had an interest in energy saving light bulbs also referred to as CF [compact fluorescent] earlier but the prohibitive cost was then a bigger hindrance than the bills, but since the cost of electricity has risen exponentially and seems to be gearing up to rise further with the cost of fuel being what it is, there has not been more prudent time to switch your lighting to CF to at least keep the bills at a manageable level.

Philips Genie, Cool Daylight.

CF bulbs are the next best thing since they consume 75% of the electricity of incandescent bulbs although they do take a while to warm up and need more care in installing and everyday use to provide a lasting source of light. Due to their high initial cost of purchase and promise of long life, some up to eight years, they need to last as long to enable you to break even on your investment. Always buy the highest quality you can afford because the lower priced bulbs are not as efficient as the established brands and will not last very long or shall leak, which is quite dangerous are these bulbs contain quite a bit of mercury, which i understand is not particularly good for your health.

According to www.consumersearch.com;

Even a compact fluorescent light bulb that burns out prematurely uses less electricity while you use it — but you may or may not break even. The environmental advantage of a compact fluorescent bulb also depends on its lifetime, since incandescent light bulbs take fewer resources and electricity to manufacture. We found loads of statistics estimating the environmental savings of switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, but again — it depends on your situation and your care in selecting and using the bulbs.

Further;

Compact fluorescent light bulbs — Technically called “compact fluorescent lamps” or “CFLs” — these save energy, and are also long-lasting when kept on at least 15 minutes at a time. Only a few models are usable with dimmers, three-way lamps or recessed lighting, or in damp settings. Some are designed just for “base-down” or “base-up” fixtures. Drawbacks include the fact that these bulbs contain mercury, cadmium and other toxic materials. In addition, CFLs can take about half a minute to warm up to full brightness. User reports indicate that there might be a relatively high percentage of defective bulbs, or that CFLs simply might not typically last as long as expected. Another issue is that CFLs gradually lose 20 to 30 percent of their brightness over time, and they can interfere with sensitive electronic devices. Finally, CFLs require careful disposal (and cleanup if broken) to avoid contaminating soil and water with mercury.

Philips Ambience, Warm White.

The CF come in several colours; of interest are the two illustrated, cool daylight[rather too white for my taste] and warm white [which i recommend for the warm glow which it casts] of which the better choice is the soft white since it replicates the look and warmth of the standard incandescent lamp which has a warming effect on the room being lit. The standard white tends to illuminate a room in a bluish white light, which I find rather cold and unwelcoming which makes it difficult to relax in such a clinical environment.

Its good to note that soft-white light bulb is one of the top-ranked compact fluorescent light bulbs in comparison reviews, both for reading lamps and general lighting. It’s small, so it fits in most lamps. The 14-watt version emits the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent light bulb, and a 23-watt emits the equivalent of a 100-watt incandescent bulb. In this manner they shall hopefully stop your bank account from sliding steadily into the red, especially if you run a full household with lights on in most rooms for the better part of the evening.