I love the new compact fluorescent bulbs. I have several installed already, and I plan to replace all my old incandescent bulbs with CFs as they burn out.

When CFs first came out, they didn't fit in some of my lamps, but the newer ones fit just fine.

As for "true color"—incandescent bulbs don't show true color either, compared to sunlight. You're just used to them, so they seem normal.

There's another advantage no one has mentioned: CFs are cooler. If you live in a hot climate and need air conditioning or fans at least part of the time, you'll save even more money.

If a 23-watt fluorescent bulb produces the same amount of light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb, that means it not only uses 77% less electricity; it also produces 77% less heat.

Some light fixtures are rated by wattage. They might have a sticker saying "Do not exceed –– watts." If you exceed the recommended wattage, there is an increased risk of overheating and fire. I expect it would shorten the life of your bulb, if not worse. The restriction applies to actual wattage, not apparent wattage.

(By apparent wattage, I mean that fluorescent bulbs are often labeled with a number—say "100"—to indicate that they're meant to replace a 100-watt incandescent bulb, because they produce a comparable amount of light. Don't confuse this number with the actual wattage, which is much less.)

So I figure this means you could make your fixture 4 times brighter than before, without exceeding the recommended wattage. (That's assuming you can find CF bulbs of an appropriate size and rating.)

I haven't actually tried this, however.