Switching to efficient bulbs saves energy, but it also can create a design challenge. Swirly compact fluorescents stick out visually, don't work with traditional clip-on shades and can cast different colors of light than their incandescent counterparts.

Manufacturers are aiming to solve these issues with new products that address the aesthetics of CFLs, the industry abbreviation for the bulbs. Improvements in the works include the shape of the bulb, the color of the light and the way the bulbs fit into traditional fixtures.

"The new generation of CFLs is a lot better about coming on instantly. They don't flicker like they did before," says Meletio Electrical Supply Co. general manager Henry Scott.

Mr. Scott says a good rule of thumb for understanding both the wattage and efficiency differences between these types of bulbs is a ratio of four-to-one. For example, the brightness of a 60-watt incandescent is roughly equivalent to that of a 15-watt CFL bulb. Fluorescents use about 75 percent less energy than incandescents.

The average household reduces its energy budget by $12 to $20 a month using compact fluorescents, according to Steven Hamburg, interim director of the Center for Environmental Studies at Brown University. Additionally, better technology has made the bulbs' harsh, industrial glow somewhat warmer and softer, though many people still object to it.

Home Depot has plans to introduce more dimmable compact fluorescents within the year. Mr. Hamburg and colleagues at Brown recently developed a box that absorbs the bulb's small amount of mercury – so there would be no need to fret if a bulb breaks in the box.

Erin Covert is a Dallas freelance writer.

The most distinctive attribute of a CFL bulb is its swirly shape, which some find visually unappealing. That shape also does not work well with most clip-on shades. Some new bulbs address these issues by putting the light tube inside a traditional-looking glass cover. Royal Touch Lamp & Fixture Service co-owner Terry Kryger says the covered high-efficiency bulbs tend to be larger than their incandescent counterparts but still work well with clip-on shades in lower wattages.

Feit 9-watt CFL bulb with cover, $7.99

Royal Touch Lamp & Fixture Service, 15615 Coit Road at Arapaho; 972-386-9189

N:vision manufactures 14-watt bulbs in three colors: soft white, bright white and daylight. The variety offers options for those who want to consider different colors for different spots in the house. In a test published in the May 2007 issue of Popular Mechanics, N:vision's soft-white CFL received the highest ranking among CFLs the magazine tested.

N:vision 14-watt 4-packs, $6.88 to $8.97

Home Depot, multiple locations, or www.homedepot.com

Basic CFLs are not dimmable, and that is especially frustrating in recessed fixtures, which often employ dimmer switches. Special dimmable CFL floodlight bulbs are now available for situations when dimming is desired.

R30 15-watt Dimmable Floodlight, $26 each

Meletio Electrical Supply Co., Dallas and Frisco; 214-352-3900

Manufacturers now make CFLs in the torpedo shape commonly used in chandeliers and the spherical globes used in some bathroom vanities.

Candelabra 9-watt CFL bulb, $8 each

G25 Globe-shaped 14-watt CFL bulb, $8 each

Current Energy, 3103 Knox St.; 469-533-7600