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The problem, until now, has been that recycling CFLs was inconvenient for post people. That’s about to change, thanks to Home Depot. The New York Times reported this week that Home Depot will offer CFL recycling at all of its nearly 2000 U.S. stores. That puts 75 percent of Americans within 10 miles of a CFL recycling location.

If you’re not part of that 75 percent, you still have options. Ikea stores provide CFL recycling bins, as well. Or visit Earth 911 or Lamp Recycle to look for a recycling location near you.

Need help choosing the right CFL? Visit our online guide, “How to Pick a Better Bulb“.

They sure can. Although the old-fashioned incandescent bulb measured slightly brighter than the equivalent CFLs, the test subjects in the Popular Mechanics study couldn’t see any significant difference. In fact, when it came to the overall quality of light, every single CFL scored higher than the incandescent: “In other words, the new fluorescent bulbs aren’t just better for both your wallet and the environment, they produce better light.”

To track the results, PM used a Konica Minolta CL-200 chroma meter to measure color temperature and brightness, and a Watts Up? Pro ammeter to track power consumption. They performed a double-blind test with three Popular Mechanics staffers and a lighting expert from Parsons The New School for Design in Manhattan. They put the participants in a color-neutral room, turned on the light, and asked them to examine colorful objects, faces and reading material, then rate the bulb’s performance.

The N:Vision Soft White bulb got the highest score of an “A.” The study found it to be “one of the top bulbs for reading and illuminating faces, the best-in-test N:Vision was noticeably ‘slow to warm.’ Still, it was ‘nice, pleasing and good overall.” The N:Vision has an average cost of $5.97 each.

CORRECTION: I had previously noted that the Sylvania Double Life Soft White was the lowest rated CFL. This is incorrect: The bulb is not a CFL but the incandescent against which the other CFLS were measured. It received the lowest score of all bulbs.

The lowest rated CFLs were the GE Soft White (which produced “accurate” color but made details hard to distinguish) and the Westinghouse Soft White (which was an average scorer overall but hurt one person’s eyes while reading). Both bulbs earned a B+.

I regret the error.

See a comparison of all the CFLs tested here.

Popular Mechanics

The US Department of Energy gives us some guidelines on when to turn off those lights. If you are using regular incandescent bulbs, it's always best to shut the light off when you aren't in the room or using it.

However, with fluorescent lighting, you'll need to estimate when you'll need the light again. Switching these types of bulbs on and off every minute will actually make them less efficient. However, if you won't be using the light within the next 15 minutes, it's best to shut it off.

The easiest way to switch off lights is to plug them into an outlet that is controlled by a switch. Easy off, easy on. And the biggest way you can make an impact? Teach your kids to shut those lights (and TV) off when they are not in the room.

We love what Energy Hawk has to say, "Your father was right, you don't own the electric company so TURN THE LIGHTS OFF." And of course, we recommend the switch to CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs whenever possible.

Rebecca says: I grew up in a very well lit house. At night, all of the lights were on in every room. However, after moving in with my husband I quickly learned to just have lights on in one room at a time! It takes some serious getting used to, but it's worth it.

When to Turn Off Your Lights: US Dept of Energy