The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 15)

p> My experience with the compact fluorescents is that while they cost a lot more, they do not last any longer than a conventional bulb. I tried using them a while back but gave it up because all but one of them has given up the ghost after a few months. This may have something to do with my electric company, which is subject to periodic outages and fluctuations for no apparent reason. My one consolation is that at my age, I will probably be dead by the time the new regulations kick in. Until then, I am sticking with incandescents. br> -- David Boucher /p>

You mention that CFLs take a while to reach full brightness, but they may not light at all if they are too cold to start with. And what is the point of a porch light that you can't turn on when it is cold out?

While not everyone thinks it will save the world, CFLs can save money, and many people like me are using more CFLs where they make sense. Obviously the market has been responding with better and cheaper CFLs. But regulation often makes things worse. I recently had to replace several ceiling fans in my home, and was extremely annoyed to find that the lights no longer use the standard bulb socket, but rather a non-standard E17 size. I have since learned that the mandate for the smaller sockets for ceiling fans came from the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to "save energy." However, since CFLs are not available in this size, the actual impact is that I am forced to use higher cost, higher energy use incandescents.

p>Idiot bureaucrats. br> -- Grant Johnson br> Americus, Georgia /p>

The only fixture I use one of those swirly fluorescent bulbs in is in a large glass bulb ceiling light -- I got tired of changing it as often as the other bulbs blew out. The fluorescent one lasts longer. For everything else, regular bulbs are better.

Once again the government has done something to me "for my own good." My toilets haven't worked right since the end of the high-powered flush.. Now, I've got to stock up on Edison-base bulbs before they're no more.

p>Why don't conservatives change some of this nonsense when they're in? br> --

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