Can I put a 26 Watt energy saver (Equivalent to 100W) in a 60 Watt max lamp?

yes. It’s equivalent in how much light it gives off compared to a 100W incandescent bulb. Those get much hotter.

Yes, that works. The actual wattage is what matters. Absolutely no problem.

The problem for bulbs below 1000 watts (yes, 1000, not 100) would be heat, not power draw on the wires. The lamp probably has plastic parts and they are warning you against melting it.

Even a 60 watt energy saver (aka compact fluorescent) would be a lot cooler than a 60 watt incandescent.

Do not use a CFL in a lamp with a dimmer unless the bulb specifically lists that it is safe for dimmers.

In addition, I have been told that hanging CFLs upside down burns them out extremely quickly. I ignored that advice and found that it was true in my experience.

Non worries so long a it fits. It will draw much less wattage than the lamp is rated for, and will generate fr less heat. Chances are its the heat buildup melting plastics, and not the energy load that caused the manufacturer to rate the lamp at 60 watts. That’s not a lot of electrical energy for a lamp, but a 60 wat incandescent bulb generates a lot of heat, whereas a 26 wat CFL runs very much cooler.

Of course, it only use 23 watts in a lamp designed with a 60 watt capacity. You could put two of them in if you can figure a way to add an additional socket!

Thanks for the answers everyone. I’ll use the energy saver bulb in the lamp, as it will be brighter.