Manitoba Eco-Network wrote:  From an energy conservation perspective, it is more efficient to turn your lights off when they are not needed. It is a popularly held belief that fluorescent lights use a "lot" of energy to get started, and thus it is better not to turn them off for "short" periods. But the increased demand for energy when a light is turned on only amounts to about 5 seconds of normal light operation. So it is more efficient to turn the light off.

However, the operating life of the bulb has to be considered as well. All types of lights have a nominal or rated operating life, which is the total number of hours that they will provide a specified level or amount of light. And the operating life of light bulbs is affected by how many times they are turned on and off. The more often they are switched on and off, the lower their operating life. So, it is also necessary to consider the energy efficiency of maximizing light bulb life and the possible increased waste generation of decreased bulb life.

According to US Department of Energy, a general rule-of-thumb for when to turn off a fluorescent light is if you leave a room for more than 15 minutes.

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