I believe the issue is that fluorescent bulbs last longer if they are left on, so you would actually spend more money/energy (factoring in the cost to produce and humans to replace the bulbs) if you're switching them off regularly. They can be dimmed to increase the life even more.

This myth is was busted years ago. Here is a reference from Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/turn-fluorescent-...

I stand corrected :)