When is leaving the lights (for example) on better than turning off and on every day?

I was told to keep florescent bulbs on and incandescent bulbs to turn off when not in use.

I didn’t know there were cities that leave street lights on in daytime.
The only reason I can figure for that is they find is cheaper, for the time being anyway, than replacing them with automatic on-off lights.
I saw one of those funny spot storms once, that moves along pretty quick and covers only a couple of acres, in a town location. It turned on lamps as it made its way along, a few minutes later they were all going back off.

Fluorescent bulbs are more affected by how many cycles they are turned on/off than by operating time. The cost tradeoff between cycling a fluorescent and keeping it on seems to be about 15 minutes: https://www.lamprecycling.com/articles/when-to-turn-off-your-fluorescent-lights.aspx

Always turn off when not in use.
The strain of turning on and off is negligible.

@RedDeerGuy1 Thanks.

@Patty_Melt if you have a link for spot storms?
@RocketGuy thanks for the link.
@ragingloli to add to that, I guess try to not have to come back.

what city has constantly burning street lights?

https://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer/2017/11/03/downtown-streetlights-on-all-night-all-day.html
”….We aren’t able to turn them off during the day and back on at night. As a certain amount of lighting is required for public safety reasons, the decision was made to keep the lights on. The safety of drivers and pedestrians is paramount to the cost of keeping the lights on.”

I’m still looking for the cities that do it on pupose.

Toronto is a surprise, though they have such abundant hydro power that theirs is probably as close to free as you can get.

I don’t have a link.
I used to see little rain patches like that when I was a kid, and teens. It has been a long time.
I remember one summer when I was eight or nine, my brother and I were in the car with mom. We were driving home on a quiet little rural highway. We must have hit half a dozen spots. It is dark and raining directly below them, sunny and clear everywhere else. My mom had to turn on the wipers, three thwacks, then off. A mile later, the same. On between it was hot and sunny. Under the clouds big, warm drops were plopping down in thick patches. My brother and I had our arms stuck out the windows. The temperature was a good ten degrees less under the clouds.
I always loved those splotchy summer rains.
I don’t know if there is anything about those on the www or not.

@flo This reminds me of when the lights are on but no-one is home.

Leave the light on if:

-You are incubating a bird’s egg.

-If you want to keep the pipes from freezing in winter.

Thanks you @Patty_Melt I tried to search it before asking you for a link.
@zenvelo I thought it’s the heat you’re supposed to leave on not the light for pipes.

@stanleybmanly Do you have a link about it?

@flo leaving a light bulb on under the sink is a lot cheaper than running a furnace.

@zenvelo Point taken.