Fluro Tube Lighting

[Chasingcars]

Is it more economical/environmentally sound to keep a fluoro tube light switched on all day than to switch it off at say, lunchtime and then switch it back on again? Apparently, they use up a lot of electric starting them up unless they have improved dramatically in very recent times. I have always been led to believe that it is better to say, switch my kitchen tube on when I get home and leave it on all evening rather than keep switching it on and off. I have googled a number of sites, and can find advice on benefits of switching off nearly all times of lighting...except fluro tube lighting.

[TheChair]

According to Wikipedia "The extra energy used to start a fluorescent lamp is equivalent to a few seconds of normal operation; it is more energy-efficient to switch off lamps when not required for several minutes."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp

[Dogsbody2]

An electronic ballast starter would typically use 50x the steady state running current, but only for an order of milliseconds. So there's no way you can save electricity by leaving the light on.
The only mitigating factor is that the wear on the tube is greater when starting, but unless you are inclined to be switching off and on every few minutes, that isn't going to compensate either.

Turn it off.

[Hopkirk]

Better still get rid of the fluorescent tube lights, they are horrible.

[mikey4444]

Interesting thread ...... I always thought it was cheaper to leave it on, so I have learned something here !