Should I use “Daylight” Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

Energy Saving Light Bulbs can be purchased in a range of colour temperatures normally ranging from 2700K to 6400K. The difference that this makes is in the colour of the light output and the higher the colour temperature then whiter the light. A traditional incandescent filament bulb produces light be heating a tungsten filament to glow white hot which produces the illumination and this form of light bulb will produce what is termed to be a warm white colour light which has a yellowish tint. This gives a nice warm ambiance to the room and for this reason the warm white colour is particularly popular for interior living areas, for instance dining rooms and bedrooms, where you want a warm glow to provide an illusion of comfort and relaxed ambiance within the space from your energy saving light bulbs. The other benefit of the warm white light is that it is more flattering to the human skin and accordingly tends enhance personal visual appearance.
Looking at the other end of the spectrum is a light bulb with a colour temperature of 6400K which is the light colour which is far whiter and more akin to natural daylight. The daylight energy saving bulb is the choice for work areas where you need very good visual clarity and the ability to see detail with ease. Accordingly then the daylight energy saving light bulb is the right choice for workshops, garages, clinical work areas, laboratories and all spaces where people work and vision is of paramount importance. The other application of daylight energy saving bulbs is if you want to visualise colours in their true colours. A warm white light bulb will give coloured objects and cloths a slightly yellow tint so if you want to see the colours in their natural form, for instance in a clothing store or curtain making workshop, then the daylight bulbs are the right choice.
So for the rooms which are either definiite home living areas or out and out work areas then the choice of light bulb colour is clear. But what about the kitchen or the office which fit in the middle of the spectrum? Well quite simply here it is a question of personnal choice and how you see the use of that room. For instance if you use your kitchen just for food preperation and cooking and always eat and relax in a breakfast room or the dining room, then daylight bulbs are a good choice. However, conversely if your kitchen is where you generally eat and a real family communal area then the warm whiite would be a better selection.
Now don’t get too tied up with these guidelines because it is only in recent times that we have had the luxury of choosing the colour of light from our light bulbs. Certainly with incandescent filament bulbs they are all warm white with the vast majority of fluorescent tubes tend to be around 3500K which is in the middle of the colour temperature range and people  have always been able to see things satisfactorily!