As a companion piece to this thread, when you leave your home and it will be dark before you return, do you leave a light on or not? Why?
I have historically tended to leave one light on, but have questioned that practice of late. I think my irrational idea is that it will make the house look occupied and dissuade burglars. But, since I usually choose a small lamp in clear view of my undrawn shades, I’ve often thought it does not persuasively portray occupancy.
My neighborhood is quite safe, with very infrequent burglaries. But when I drive up to my completely dark house, I often think, “Well THAT house looks unoccupied!”
The way my house is shaped, if I don’t choose a light right in either the front room or front bedroom, it is not obvious from the street. And I don’t want to waste electricity by turning on a bunch of can lights. (Although, since they are LEDs, I probably could…)
I’ve heard folk say they prefer not walking into a dark house, but there is a light switch immediately inside all of my exterior doors, so I can flick on the light as soon as I open the door.
My wife has about four lights around hour house that almost never go off. They’re LED, so I don’t care too much. She likes the ambiance. So, yes, they’re on when we’re not home, but that’s not why they’re on.
It depends.
How long will I be gone? Who’s home? What time of day is it?
If I expect to return after dark, I’'ll leave a light on for convenience, unless one of the family is home - then it’s up to them how much light they want. I don’t worry over-much about security - I have four dogs, for a combined weight of 330# - The three biggest ones frequently step up into the front bay window and lounge there. I used the phrase “step up” deliberately. They’re big enough, they don’t need to jump.
Today, Dinsdale wants to know if you’ll accept your flight home being late, if your leave your window easily peepable and if there’ll be a light on at night while you’re gone. Hrrmm…
I do keep lights on. Both living room lamp and porch light are on a timer. It’s not really for security reasons, though. I just really don’t like coming home to a dark house, and it also makes me sad to imagine my cat waiting hours in the pitch blackness for me to come home.
Well, it’s a cat so it can’t be THAT dark for it assuming you windows and ambient lights from LEDs, stove clocks, etc. They’re made for that sort of thing.
Edit: Plus its eyes are probably closed 95% of the time anyway
I have a couple of fish tanks, so they throw a fair bit of light, but in addition, I do leave a light on if I know I’m going to be late. Walking in to a pitch dark house would scare me - too many places for creepy clowns, bogeymen and axe murderers to hide in the dark.
I would have that concern, too, except that all of my closets and such are too full for a creepy clown, bogeyman, or axe murder to hide in.
Lights on, partly for the cats, partly to make it look like I’m around. I have a few of the lights hooked to Nest, so I can turn them off and on at will from away.
If we’re going out to dinner and I know we’ll be home after dark, I may leave a light on so I don’t have to fumble for the switch when I get home. If we leave early in the day and won’t be home till late, I don’t bother.
When we go on vacation, I leave a couple of lights on timers - one in the bedroom and one in the living room. I don’t know if it makes a difference - maybe the cats like it that way.
