You're bound to still have some questions about energy saving lamps. Here, we've answered some of the most common queries - and shattered several popular myths along the way.

Doesn't switching lights on and off use more energy than leaving them running?
No. Switching on an energy saving lamp only uses the same amount of power as leaving it on for a minute or two.

Turning the lamp on and off repeatedly may shorten its life, but normal household use shouldn't cause any problems. However, to help a lamp to last as long as possible, it is best to leave it on for a 'stabilising' period of 10 to 15 minutes at a time.  

Don't energy saving lamps take a long time to light up?
The latest compact fluorescent lamps "warm up" very much faster than older designs, typically reaching 95% of their full light output in under a minute.

This short warming up process is due to the way they work. An electric current is passed through gas in a tube, making the tube's coating glow brightly. In traditional lightbulbs, the current is passed through a wire which heats up and produces light straight away. What makes them incredibly inefficient is that 95% of the electricity used is lost in the production of heat.

Energy saving lamps, by contrast, use the same efficient technology as fluorescent lights - but are more compact and use even less energy. 

Don’t they flicker when you turn them on?
Yes, they do, but unlike early energy saver lamps a few years ago, the latest designs generally include electronic rapid start circuitry to make the lamp light in less than 1 second with virtually no flickering.

Don't they give a rather harsh light?
Some older designs had quite a high "colour temperature"  which may be perceived as "colder" but many energy saving lamps now use a "warm white" coating to make the light very similar to a normal incandescent lamp.

They’re always too long and stick out above my lampshades! Why can’t they make them smaller?
They do now! Recent developments in lighting technology mean that many compact fluorescents are now so small that they are virtually the same size, or even smaller, than ordinary lamps. There is a wide range of sizes and shapes available nowadays.  

Do compact fluorescents get hot?
Compact fluorescents give out far less heat than traditional lightbulbs, making them safer for use in unattended security or night light applications. This also makes them ideal for use with lampshades made of delicate materials that can be damaged by heat. All lamps do however give off some heat and should not be used in a totally enclosed light fitting unless there is some way for the heat to escape.

Don't traditional lightbulbs give a better quality of light?
For technical reasons, the glass used to house energy saving lightbulbs has to be opaque - not totally transparent. In other words, the light quality of energy saving lamps can't be directly compared with that of clear traditional lamps. Compare them with soft tone traditional lamps, though, and you won't see any difference.

Producing an energy saving lamp must take more energy in the first place than making a standard lightbulb. At the end of the day, doesn't that make it inefficient?
Again, no. Because of its clever technology, an energy saving lamp might take more energy to make than a traditional lamp. But the energy saved by the lamp over its lifetime far outweighs this energy consumption.

Are halogen lamps more efficient than traditional lightbulbs?
Yes, but they are not as energy efficient as normal energy saving lamps. So, halogen lamps should only be used in your existing halogen fittings.

Halogen lamps come in mains voltage (240 volt) and low voltage (12 volt) varieties. Low voltage lamps use a transformer which takes the voltage from the mains supply and 'transforms' it to the lower operating voltage of the halogen light. This helps them to use less energy and makes them 35% more efficient than traditional halogens.

Lots of my lights have dimmer switches. Can I fit them with energy saving lamps?
Most energy saving lamps aren't fully compatible with dimmer switch circuits at the moment. A standard dimmer switch will simply make the lamp flicker: annoying for you and not good for your lamp.

The latest technology "Dimmerable" energy savers became available in October 2007 and can be dimmed simply by rotating a standard dimmer switch. Please check to ensure that you have ordered the correct item before using an energy saver with a dimmer switch.

There are also "Switch Dimmable" lamps available that can be dimmed with a standard switch: the lamp itself contains a dimmer so you can control the brightness with a flick of any standard switch.  These lamps can be used with a conventional light switch and with normal lamp holders, meaning no change to the existing on/off fitting and saving on any extra retrofit costs. No additional control wiring or transformers are required for use.

Is the government really banning traditional incandescent lightbulbs?
Yes, the Government recently introduced a voluntary phasing out of traditional lightbulbs.  UK retailers agreed to stop replacing their stock of 150w bulbs from January 2008. 100w incandescent bulbs will then stop being sold in Jan 2009, 60w bulbs will stop being sold in 2010, however the more difficult to replace designs of light bulb will be given longer to cease being sold. This will give manufacturers and retailers enough time to develop additional products that will take their place.  For more information Click here.

Don't CFLs contain mercury? And isn't that bad for the environment?
Energy saving lamps contain only tiny traces of mercury - imagine a pellet smaller than the tip of a biro. What's more, in the long term, CFL technology will actually help less mercury to pollute the air. This is because burning fossil fuels like coal is the biggest source of mercury in the air. And as energy saving lamps use 80% less electricity than a traditional lamp, they mean far less mercury overall.

Remember to always recycle your used lamps, for example at your local authority's recycling centre.  Please do not dispose of with household waste.  For details of your nearest recycling centre Click here.

Are "Energy Saver" and "Long Life" lamps the same thing?
Yes and no! Compact fluorescent lamps do generally have much longer life than ordinary lightbulbs but there are also many other types of "long life" bulbs, most of which do not also save energy. Generally a lightbulb will have a rated life of around 1000hrs whereas compact fluorescent energy saving lamps have a rated life of between 3,000 and 15,000 hours.