Your house. Lights on or off?

[lovemachine]

When you're not at home or when you go to bed, do you leave a light on inside your house?

I can think of some pros and cons. Pros would be BGs will think you're at home or still awake. Cons would be they can see inside your home easier.
If the lights were off, you'd have the advantage since you know your own home an they dont.

Same goes for your outside lights.

Which do you do and why?

 

[rbrthenderson]

I keep a variety of nightlights throughout the house and keep the lights off when I'm asleep. I have motion lights at both the front and back door. When I'm gone at night time, I turn on one of the bathroom lights which casts light but doesn't face a window.

 

[amboran]

Inside lights -random -sometimes on when not at home-sometimes off-don't want to be predictable Outside security light-dusk activation -on side of garage-lights up the backyard for pennies(fluorescent ).

 

[selinoid44]

Night lights all thru the house. Occasionally leave a light on when away. Extended leaves a timer for the lamps and set the timer on the tv. I think the motion lights are also a good thing to have. Not to mention a good dog that barks when someone come to the house.

 

[K_W]

Inside: All lights off except a table lamp in the living room and an Indiglo nightlight in the bathroom.
Outside: Yard pole light, garage top light, and porch light in front, 300w motion light out back.

 

[SEIndSAM]

It depends where my wife and daughter have been. If they have been in a room since the last time I looked, the lights are on. Love em both, but they have never figured out that you can shut a light off with that switch too.

Rant over, return to your abnormal activities.

 

[BDBHoover]

I recently installed motion activated light switches in my townhouse..... The one by the front door activates the light at the top of the stairs, which is 6 feet from me so if that light comes on when were all in bed..... Lock 'n load (I don't have any pets)

Also I have black out curtains in all windows downstairs so nobody can peek in to check out what I have..... I also keep this burglary prevention rod that sits underneath the doorknob to help with it not being able to be kicked in......

Also have ADT alarm system

 

[MrsGungho]

front porch light always on. Motion lights in the carport and light by garage door always on.

light above stove always on. curtains are always closed so no one can look in to see if we are home or not, or to see what we have.

 

[shooter1054]

Lights on low inside. curtians drawn at night. Porch lights on all night.

 

[Sylvain]

Major cons is that keeping lights on all night is expensive.My mom always taught me to turn off the light if im not in a room for that reason.
I would like to keep outside lights on all night, and the inside lights off, to see outside without being seen from the inside.
Or leave inside lights on when im not at home so that people think someone is at home.
But I dont do it to save the planet and my wallet.
All lights off, flashlight always handy if I need to look at something both inside or outside.

 

[J_Wales]

Maglite inside.
Flash grenade outside.

 

[Vince49]

Things that go bump in the night.

Motion lights outside. Night light on in house as early on I got tired of tripping over the cat on the way to the bathroom!

 

[revance]

Front and back porch lights are on timers so they come on from roughly dusk to dawn.

At night when I am home, I close the blinds when it gets dark outside (they are white wood, so it brightens up the inside by reflecting light). At bed time the inside lights go off (except some night lights for the kids).

My big thing that I have had to stress in my home is to never turn on the light by the front door. If someone knocks/rings at night, I don't want them to know I am looking out the peep hole.

When we are away I put various lights on timers. I have considered getting one of those LED light boxes that makes it look like you have a TV on.

 

[hookedonjeep]

It depends where my wife and daughter have been. If they have been in a room since the last time I looked, the lights are on. Love em both, but they have never figured out that you can shut a light off with that switch too.

Rant over, return to your abnormal activities.

I have a similar problem.... my wife and kids haven't figured out that there is an "off" position on lights or televisions either..... I spend a bit of time each day on patrol looking to correct these issues. Maybe someday they will learn.....

As for the OP:
Outside - Motion lights and Dusk to Dawn lights
Inside - Night lights in the kitchen, hallway, and on the front porch - just enough ambient light to identify any potential targets; and as a bonus, the lights are flashlights when you pull them out of the socket or if the power fails....

 

[mrortega]

A couple of night lights inside. Front porch light on for the last 6 months after a neighbor told me that he saw someone running through my front yard toward the door late one night. The dude had just knocked at his door then ran. Neighbor looked out his front window and saw a car with lights off stop in front of my house. Buddy stayed up and watched a car with lights off stop in front of his house again. Shadowy figure run to his door again and raised his fist to pound. The neighbor jerked the door open and the guy fell forward into his house. Neighbor punched at him while screaming for his wife to bring his Kimber .45. Perp sent running, screaming like a sissy toward the car probably leaving a trail of yellow liquid.

 

[Leo]

As far as getting around my house, it seems that every piece of electronics I have leaves some kind of numbers glowing or a small LED that stays on all the time. I can manuver around my hose just referencing the light sources. I leave outdoor lights on every night, as I like to have a clear picture when I shoot at something

 

[sgreen3]

small kitchen light on through the night, mostly cause I cant see real well at night and I dont want to trip over something if I get up in the middle of the night. An there are motion lights outside of the house at all four corners

 

[BowhuntnHoosier]

It depends where my wife and daughter have been. If they have been in a room since the last time I looked, the lights are on. Love em both, but they have never figured out that you can shut a light off with that switch too.

Rant over, return to your abnormal activities.

My wife and son have the same problem.

We have night lights throughout the house. Motion lights out back and several solar lights lining our drive in front. I was surprised at how much light they emit.

 

[Birds Away]

I live alone now so there is no one to protect but my grumpy old self. I leave no lights on inside or out because I know my house and get around fine in the dark. Plus, who wants to pay for the extra electricity? My house is not in the best part of town and it should be obvious to any casual observer that there would not be anything of any great value in it. Anyone who knows me at all knows to "sing out" if they happen to have a key or find the door unlocked. For anyone attempting a "dynamic entry" all I will say is that my peaceful repose is brought to my by JMB.

 

[Cemetery-man]

Depends whether the coffee table light is on or off when I fall asleep in my recliner.