Are compact florescent light bulbs living up to their promise? My experience says definitely not! Here is a picture of all the ones that have failed me. This represents roughly half of the ones that I have purchased and they generally failed after a few months to a year - nothing like the 5 to 7 years to pay back their acquisition cost in saved electricity. I believe that they are more efficient in electricity use when compared with incandescent bulbs, but not when their purchase price and reliability are factored in!
Now, when I see Phillips advertisements for compact florescent light bulbs, I think of the Marlboro man hawking cigarettes. Both are trying to get you to buy something that doesn't benefit you by appealing to your concern for the environment or the allure of the open range. It's called marketing.
The trouble is that the more "Green" claims I personally investigate, the more seem to be unworkable scams that appeal to nebulous, good-for-the-environment types.
