“Here is another unmentioned factor and likely the actual reason these bulbs catch fire more frequent than incandescents. Certain utilities in the past decade have raised the voltage entering the average home from what was once 110/220 to nearly now at 130/260 volts.”
May I ask why they do this. What benefit is it to the utility?
Lower voltage damages induction motors (mainly refrigerators and air conditioners). Higher voltage allows more load variation without the voltage going too low due to wire resistance (house and power line wire).
Several. One is smaller gage {diameter} wire on their primary lines on the power poles but a higher voltage. This is off the top of my head but the voltage before it hits your house transformer on the pole is about 7.6-8.4K volts. It also means to them fewer step up transformers on their local distribution route.
What is great in their eyes may not be so for you. I do my own electrical work on my house. 15 years ago my voltage was about 115/230 coming into my house. No problems. TVA comes along and puts in a new substation. The local utility rebuilts the routes but leaves the same transformers. Within a week or so I started having things fry. My microwave oven, hot water heater element, well pump, satellite receiver, TV, and Dryer element to start with. I checked my voltage and it was way up there. I checked my parents house about a half mile away same thing.
I called the utility to complain. At first they put me off then I told them I knew what they had done and I was fixing to get the word out. Next day my voltage was back at 115/230 and no more trouble. I haven't even replaced the water heater element since then and IIRC this happened over 10 years ago.