Contrary to popular belief, turning off fluorescent lights really does save energy. Frequent switching may shorten bulb life, but electric bill savings will more than compensate for the shorter lifespan, especially if you end up using more fluorescents than incandescents. ENERGY STAR® recommends using fluorescent bulbs in fixtures that you tend to use for at least 15 minutes at a time or several hours a day for the most savings.

Source: UF/IFAS Energy Efficient Homes: Fluorescent Lighting, Hyun-Jeong Lee, Kathleen C. Ruppert, and Wendell A. Porter, FCS3270, 2008

Additional Resources

UF IFAS Energy Efficient Homes: Fluorescent Lighting - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY1031  

Consortium for Energy Efficiency. (2007).  Residential lighting. Retrieved April, 18, 2008, from http://www.cee1.org/resrc/facts/rs-lt-fx.pdf  

ENERGY STAR®. (2008, April) Frequently asked questions: Information on compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and Mercury, April 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2008, from http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

ENERGY STAR®. (n.d.a). Compact fluorescent light bulbs. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls