Is it more cost effective to leave a fluorescent light on for an hour rather than turn it on and off 5 times within that hour with a total burn time of 5 minutes?
No. It is more cost effective to turn off a fluorescent light when not in use – even for short periods of time. According to the EPA, the advances in lighting technology over the past years have made the energy used to start a fluorescent lamp comparable to 5 seconds or less at normal operation. Consequently, turning the lights off for more than 5 seconds will save more energy than leaving them on.
