Don’t Turn Off the Light

Turning off  fluorescent bulbs doesn’t always mean saving. Research made by CIEMAT and ETSIT in Spain shows that for saving money a fluorescent bulb shouldn’t be turned off if it will be turned back on in less than 7 minutes.

This reference time varies depending on what the user is trying to reduce; Money cost, greenhouse gases or mercury emissions.

What they recommend

• If you want to save money, don’t turn off the fluorescent bulb if you are coming back to the room in less than 7 minutes.
• If you want to reduce greenhouse gas emission, the reference time is 5 minutes.
• If you want to reduce mercury emission, the reference time is 43 minutes.

In conclusion, turning on and off fluorescent bulbs frequently is not recommended because that increases the greenhouse gases emission and the money cost.

Written by Luis Perez