I have installed these throughout my house. I like the light that they give off and they do seem to last a long time. The 40 watt equivalents that I use are about 12 watts per bulb and use less than 33% of the energy that the regular bulbs they are made to replace. The nice thing about them is that they last much longer than a regular light bulb. I do have to replace them but if you simply call the number that are on my bulbs(purchased at Home Depot) they will send you a replacement.

I use these bulbs in all locations except my garage door opener where they won't work. This is typical and is because of the timer that is built into the door. I tried some of the first runs of these bulbs years ago and they didn't work well for my outside lights in the winter time but the newer ones work great all year round. All of my ceiling fan lights have been replaced with them and they seem to work great but they do seem to fail more quickly than when they are installed in a regular light. I do think they last longer than incandesent lights though. Then energy savings is worth the expense.

Conclusion:

I like the compact fluoresent bulbs and would not go back to regular light bulbs. They save enery, work as well as regular bulbs and can be used in most applications that require regular bulbs. It is easy to switch over and is a very good way to save money and help us use less fosile fuel. This is such an easy savings it doesn't make sense to just do it. To read more about the energy savings go to the energy star site and read about them!