I've been slowly replacing the light bulbs in my house to the new LEDs. they are expensive so as one bulb burns out i replace it with an LED. i have maybe 4 light bulbs in the house left to replace. My electric bill has dropped considerably.

I'm still waiting on going to LEDs, the technology for them is still developing so fast I'm waiting for it to level off and the price to come down. Last years luxeon stars were replaced by crees this year with twice the efficiency.

I am a photographer and an environmentalist. I have built a house for myself in France using as many environmental principles as possible.. low energy usage, local product sourcing, low off-gassing potential etc. However, I had to decide to use conventional incandescent lighting because the colour of CFL and LED is simply not acceptable in a domestic residence. It could be argued that I am more than usually sensitive to this, (being trained in the eye so to speak,) but I have discussed this issue widely and the simple truth is that people do not like CFL or LED light. The CFL is too green/yellow and the LED is too blue/white. They simply do not have enough colour spectrum to allow our eyes to properly render colour.
There are solutions coming.... Scientists are working on LEDs that will closely approximate sunlight and give full spectrum lighting, so we are probably not too far from sustainable pleasant artificial light, but for the time being, those of us sensitive to the beauty of our environment are stuck with incandescent.

I look forward to a time when I can inexpensively replace all these 12v lv bulbs with sunlight LED lamps, but we are not there yet...

The comment about the color of light from CFLs and LEDs is not accurate; you just have to find the right kind. I have been using CFLs for several years now and they are perfectly acceptable. Actually, I like them better. Interestingly, the cheapest ones I could find were the best. I also have many LED flashlights that put out nice color. There are CFLs and LEDs that have terrible color though; just shop around until you find the right kind.

Mike, thanks for your comments. I completely agree. My house has only CFLs and LEDs. And ALL of my lights (except for one small undercabinet flourescent in the kitchen) give light IDENTICAL to that of incandescents. And no, there is nothing wrong with my eyesight. I see colors as well as anyone else.

Seeing colour and understanding colour is different!

CFL/LED based lighting put out a different kelvin to incandescent lighting.

I've used from very cheap to very expensive CFL bulbs and they all have put out light that is either to warm (lower kelvin) or to cold (higher kelvin) ie, yellow (lower kelvin) or blue (higher kelvin)

Sunlight at about noonish is about 5500° K.
CFL is very variable, I'd hazard a guess (and I mean a guess) of about 4500° K to about maybe 6500° K but they waver around as they get older, getting more yellow as they age, also called temperature shift. The best colour personally is usually after having them for about 6 months and then for about 6 months after that they are alright then they just start getting even more yellow.

LEDs on the other hand can be adjusted very exactly, however, the ones that can be made to be close to the kelvin rating of the sun are very expensive (you think your bulbs made from normal LED's are expensive, think ten times that) so these lights do exist however right now, the ones on the market that are available are about the same as CFL but generally cooler (higher Kelvin)

That of course will change soon enough, even though I don't quiet like the warm CFL's there a little too yellow for my liking, I live with them because its better for everyone if I use less electricity!

As a photographer I use CFL/LED because I want to be able to take pictures of nature as it is and not like it will be after the climate changes...

My house has mostly recessed flood lights. So far, none of the CFL bulbs I have tried have lasted longer than six months. As I live in a fairly rural area, I am now storing a number of burnt out bulbs until I figure out how to dispose of them properly. Has anyone else had this problem?

Ah well, as a photographer I use colour temperature meters which can't lie and I have metered many many types of CFL (and they all prove to have limited spectrum rendition...,) so perhaps you perceive the colours as adequate but others (who are more used to judging colour by eye) do not. There is an interesting article on the future of LED lighting (which believe me I am keen to adopt,) at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7131358.stm

There are simple things that can make a difference in climate change, too, especially if more and more people become aware of them.

I am working with Southern California Edison right now to encourage people to replace traditional light bulbs with CFLs. The benefits are substantial: CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and they last up to 10 times longer.

If every household in California switched five incandescent bulbs for CFLs, it would be the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the road.

SCE is holding a contest, too…you can enter a video or photo of yourself with a CFL in a contest they are holding - the winner may be selected to appear in an SCE television commercial. Check out the details at www.sce.com/pledge and spread the word!

I stand corrected. There are obviously new CFLs on the market that I haven't tested... take a look at the following:
Doesn't resolve my household where all the lights are dimmed 12v lv recessed spots, (so I still need LEDs,) but the option is now out there! take a look at:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4215199.html?series=15
Not quite sure what people who have dimmer switches are going to do though as I don't believe that there are any dimmable CFLs?

There are a few manufacturers of CCFLs (Cold Cathode Florescent Lights) that are dimmable and edison-style socketed.

I have not seen any that are above 8 watts (=50w-60w est.) but they dim fairly well. I have used them in my house for about 2 years now, just for testing purposes. They are not quite at the price point with CFLs, but they are more competitive than LEDs at this moment.

re: Moira - recessed flood lights

Almost all CFLs require air circulation and stable power to last. Remember they have little controller circuits in them.

For recessed lights in particular and directional lighting in general, LEDs are better. They also survive poor quality power better which can be a problem in rural or older urban areas.

Don't get for the fake plastic look alike bulbs though, get the LED + heatsink type design.

Thanks for the link. I will use it in future as a reference. I hope Ben takes a look at it too.

I am new to all of this. I just bought some Philips energy saver 9watt bulbs. I'm not sure what the difference between all of the different bulbs are. I'm confused: CFL, LED, flourescent? Where do I go to learn more? The packaging on the lights I just bought don't give any specific info.

I will say that on these philips bulbs, the light is plain ugly. I have yellow painted walls and with the traditional bulbs, the color is warm and sunny. With this Philips energy saver bulb the light is green and depressing.

Help! What kind of bulb is the best for warm lighting?

I have had the same problem with the color of the lighting in my home.

We have light green walls in our living room and dining room. My sister came over the other evening and when she walked in she said "What the hell did you do in here?" It just looks and feels horrible.

The very next day my 14 year old son came home from school and was walking through the living room to his bedroom and he said "Why does it seem so creepy in here." Are you kidding me? When a 14 year old boy notices something like that it's not just a traditionalist trying to buck the trend.

I am obviously not against changing to the new CFLs/LEDs but until I know I can buy some that will make my home inviting I'm not sacrificing my families environment.