The invention discloses a method for controlling the time sharing starting of electronic ballasts and a delayed-started electronic ballast. According to the method, the electronic ballasts are delayed-started after being energized, and delay time for the delayed starting of the electronic ballasts is a random number acquired based on the temperature of the ballasts. The delayed-started electronic ballast includes an electronic ballast body and a delay switch. After the adoption of the technical scheme of the invention, a delayer with the delay time set by virtue of random numbers corresponding to different environmental temperature is additionally arranged in the ballast, and multiple ballasts connected in parallel in a circuit can be started at different time points after different delay time under the control of the same control switch, which remarkably reduces current impact on a power grid and reduces a voltage drop condition.