## 1 Introduction
[PERSON] and [PERSON] [5] established that the replacement of incandescent lamps with CFLs in Lebanon would imply an 8.3% in consumption reduction, while [PERSON] el al. [6] carried out a similar study in Kazakhstan but expanded it to the commercial/industrial sector and to outdoor lighting, in addition to residential lighting, documenting that energy savings are produced in all three sectors. [PERSON] et al. [7] analyzed the CFL distribution program carried out in Ethiopia, concluding that the savings for the consumer were significant, and that the benefits were most notable in the most disadvantaged sectors of the country. In summary, it can be concluded that by introducing these types of light, the domestic consumer bill will decrease in relation to the cost of achieving the same quality of lighting using incandescent bulbs. However, not all research shows positive data for CFLs and LEDs. Several authors have analyzed the behavior of these lamps and have established that their use presents some drawbacks that should not be neglected. As early as 1995, [PERSON] et al. [8] evaluated the impact of the harmonics generated by the CFL in distribution systems, concluding that under certain conditions they generate large distortions in voltages, even after taking into account these distortions can be partially canceled when several lamps are used. [PERSON] et al. [9] conducted a simulation to evaluate the effect of the use of CFLs on the voltages and currents of the network, evaluating both the harmonics generated and the resonance conditions. On the other hand, [PERSON] et al. [10] analyzed the light intensity variation and the harmonic emission of LED lamps, finding that there was a relationship between the level of harmonics generated and the sensitivity of the lamps to voltage fluctuations. Another problem that worries researchers, is the flicker of LED and CFL lamps [11; 12]. [PERSON] et al. [13] in 2010 already proposed technical solutions to reduce this phenomenon and reduce the problems it can generate--including health effects. Despite these studies and many others in the same direction [14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21], the prevalent belief is that these types of lamp represent, as mentioned above, significant energy savings, and this is a factor that can help in the reducing environmental impacts. In this paper, it has been evaluated whether the global energy saving is real or not. The starting hypothesis for the present study is based on analyzing the energy cost not only from the point of view of the final consumer, which, as we have already mentioned, is highly contrasted, but in the system as a whole. CFL and LED lamps marketed in Spain from different manufacturers and characteristics have been evaluated, analyzing the harmonics generated and the distortions introduced into the distribution system. The reactive and distortion powers consumed have been evaluated concluding that these are by no means insignificant. The presence of capacitive reactive power and distortion in the network cause higher currents and an increase in the consumption of the apparent power S (VA) that must be supplied by power plants and considered in distribution and in the design of transformation stations. Additionally, taking into account that in Spain the consumption of electrical energy that is destined for lighting installations is of the order of 10-20% of the global consumption, and that an estimated 25-50% of this is consumed by domestic sources and the rest by public lighting and administrative buildings [22], the extensive use of CFL and LED lamps assumes an energy and economic cost that, so far, has not been considered in terms of the billing to the final consumer (as in many other countries). This cost has been found to be very significant within the overall energy bill.