Question: “Please settle a dispute between my husband and myself. Does it take more electricity to provide power for leaving a 100-watt light bulb on for a few hours, or to provide power to turn it on and off a few times during the same few hours? Also, how much does it cost to run a light bulb per hour?”

        Answer: Heard this one before? “It depends.”

        The answer comes from Cinergy spokesman Steve Brash, who notes that some older fluorescent fixtures have starters that can eat up some extra electricity when you flip the switch to “on.”

        Assuming you're talking about a regular incandescent light bulb, the winning spouse is the one who insists that lights be turned off as you leave the room. It takes more energy to leave it burning.

        “If it's an incandescent bulb (the kind most of us use in most of our light fixtures), it's just a matter of the time the light is on,” Mr. Brash says.

        But there's more to the story, adds Cinergy's David F. Woodburn, media relations coordinator. “Turning a light bulb off and on repeatedly will shorten the operating life of the light bulb. This applies for both incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs.”

        So, if it's money we're considering, the solution might be less clear, although, odds are, the extra electricity would cost more than the shortened life span of the bulb . . . depending, of course, on the time intervals involved.

        “Our number-one rule: If you're not going to use the light, turn it off,” says Mr. Brash.

        By the way, for a CG&E customer, the cost of burning a 100-watt light bulb for one hour is less than a penny.

       If you have a stupid question, send it to Ask a Stupid Question by mail: c/o Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati OH 45202; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: mpulfer@enquirer.com.

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