Do you leave your outside lights on at night? (townhome, stove, installed)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am surprised by the number of my neighbors who don't turn on their outside lights at night. I live in a middle class subdivision that is relatively new (less than 3 years old). By habit, I flip my exterior lights on at night before I go to bed. Every house in my neighborhood is occupied, but virtually every house is dark. My house stands out like a sore thumb among the darkened houses on my street. I don't get it. I thought exterior lights were a deterrent to burglars? What changed over the years?
Probably trying to "save energy." I know my life comes before energy. I don't flip them on though, several are on light sensors, the others just stay on.
Probably trying to "save energy." I know my life comes before energy. I don't flip them on though, several are on light sensors, the others just stay on.
I leave mine on 24 hours a day so I don't forget. Front porch, side lights, back porch. About 6 bulbs total. LED lights cost about $1 per year on all the time and last 4-5 years if left on that long.
I don't get people who turn them off. Makes the neighborhood dark, makes you more a target for a break in, etc. It's very little energy saved turning them off with new energy efficient bulbs.
I leave mine on 24 hours a day so I don't forget. Front porch, side lights, back porch. About 6 bulbs total. LED lights cost about $1 per year on all the time and last 4-5 years if left on that long.
I don't get people who turn them off. Makes the neighborhood dark, makes you more a target for a break in, etc. It's very little energy saved turning them off with new energy efficient bulbs.
Go to Walmart and get dusk to dawn inserts for about $4 per light
Burglar alarms, dogs, guns.... people do all sorts of things to prevent crime.
The number one thing you can do to keep thieves away is make sure your home is well lit! The number one most important thing to criminals is not being seen, and good lighting makes it that much more difficult. When choosing between a dark and brightly lit home, you better believe they're going to chose the dark one every single time. This is as true for petty vandals as it is professional thieves.
I agree it's shocking how many people don't light their homes. But hey, the good news is... that means the bad guys are going to target their homes over yours! Nowadays, it's super easy to light your home. You can put timers on your switches or even get smart bulbs that can be controlled with your phone. LED bulbs make leaving lights on ridiculously inexpensive. You can pretty much light your entire home for a decade for a less than it costs to pay a single month of security alarm monitoring.
You can also get lights that charge during the day with solar panels and turn on when they detect motion. These lights are really bright, and can be used to save money or to mount in places where a fixture may not be available, like on the side of your home.
Anyone who has ever been out to cause mischief knows there's nothing criminals avoid more than light. Anyone who turns all their lights off at night is a fool.
I had LED landscape lighting installed at my home. I love the way the lights look at night, and have received many compliments from neighbors. I also partially did it for security reasons, as our backyard is really dark otherwise.
We have a single 40w front porch light sconce that is on a light sensor. No other lights on outside. But we live in a townhome in a gated community, so I'm less worried about it. But even so, I might leave on like a front porch light and a back porch light at night if I lived in a normal subdivision. Certainly wouldn't be lit up like Christmas every night. Especially out in the suburbs where crime is minimal, I wouldn't be too worried about it. If I lived in Bankhead, I might think a little more about it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
