We still have the old lighting system at our basement. The former owner of the house used an 8-foot flourescent ceiling lights and it's not energy efficient. Hubby and I are thinking of hiring an electrician to replace all the wiring and also replace the long flourescent lights with compact fluorescent lamps because it is more energy-efficient. My father-in-law uses compact flourscent lamps in his home and it really makes a big difference to the electric cost. It cost a little more to buy them but it saves you money in the long run.
We do use CPL or compact flourescent light bulb in our hallway which we leave on during the night and I see a big difference to our bill since we switched from the regular bulb to this one. It is really a matter of choosing the right product to use if you want to cut cost in the utility bills. You may want to check out the guides on how to properly select the right CPL for your home to use at Genesis Lamp Corporation. You can also read the testimonials of the customers how they help them save money by using the compact flourescent light bulbs.