From homeowners who put up with bulbs that hum and flicker because their electricity bills have gone down, to self-professed environmentalists who won't use CFLs because of disposal problems, one thing is clear: Making the right choice about energy-efficient lighting requires a refined understanding of the choices. Plenty of readers welcome the push toward energy efficiency, like homeowner Betty Chrisman, who helps run the appliance efficiency compliance program for the California Energy Commission, which develops and implements energy standards for new consumer and commercial appliances. She lives in Granite Bay (Placer County) and made the switch to CFLs in her home in February 2001. "Since we switched to CFLs seven years ago, we continue to use one-third less electricity than we did prior to switching to CFLs," she says.

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