Do You Turn Off Your Lights?

Well, actually, electric lights are pennies are the dollar. Particularly if you use the CFC's as most of mine are. So, I don't get too bent out of shape when it comes to lights being on or off. I do sometimes try to remember to shut off and unplug appliances that are not in use though. Those are some of the real culprits when it comes to electricity usage.

 

I frequently walk around the house turning off lights in rooms that are not being used. I also unplug phone chargers, the toaster, and other small, easy to reach electronics when they are not in use. My husband often reminds me that it is only a few pennies per year being saved this way, especially when most of the light bulbs in our house are energy efficient. However, my point of view is that if you're not using the electricity, why waste it? Also, why pay for it? Just think of the amount of natural resources that produce electricity (such as coal and petroleum) that could be saved if everyone did this on a regular basis. Every little bit counts!

 

I usually make it a point to turn off lights that are not in use as well. I don't concern myself with unplugging appliances though. Turning them off is enough in my opinion.
The only time I got a ridiculously high electricity bill was when I used the dryer excessively one month. After that scare I decided to reserve laundry day for when I had full loads instead of washing all the time.

 

It's true that turning the lights off saves pennies. However, if you look after the pennies, the pounds take carre of themselves. In other words, it all adds up over the course of a year.

I'm really stingy with the gas though. I'm quite concerned about fracking and I reckon if everyone was just a little more careful, it might not be such a threat. Rant over!

 

During the day time I turn lights off that are not being used. I do not like shadows in dark rooms so I have a night light in just about every room in the house. When I feel jumpy I often sleep with the lights on in my room. To me it is not about cost it is about comfort, I don't feel comfortable in a totally dark house.

 

You do save a lot of money when you turn off the lights and unplug. The thing is when you unplug be sure to unplug carefully so as to not ware out the connection. Since you unplug every time you don't use it it's best to grab the plug not the wires and pull out the plug. This will save on the ware and tear of the plug.

 

I do switch off the lights all the time. I get annoyed if they are on and no one is on the room or intends to be in the room. I was renting out a property once and turned up to check it to find the estate agents had left the lights on for the whole weekend. I was fuming and told them off. Not only did it cost me money, it was also a risk to the property as people would have been able to see inside when it was dark as they left the blinds up too.

 

I'm also a stickler for energy and water conservation. I do exactly the same thing as the OP, even in other people's houses. I am especially more careful these days because the whole of Southern Africa is currently going through severe water and power shortages, and we have to live off rations. I really don't care for waste and don't understand why some people don't seem to appreciate the gravity of the whole thing.

 

This is something that I have always done - as apart from the fact that electricity is extremely expensive where I live - paying for something that is not needed - is to me a total waste of money.

So yes - even though I use energy saving LED bulbs for all of my lighting - there is never any unnecessary lighting on in my house - as we are in the habit of turning off any lights that are not needed and especially when leaving a room - likewise with any appliances - they are always unplugged when not in use - as although the savings may be small from doing this - they do add up and do go some way towards reducing overall energy costs.

 

We are extravagant when it comes to light. At night, we have a pilot light in the backyard, 1 in the garage and another in the driveway, another light for the grotto and lastly, the light in our bedroom. Yes, we sleep with the lights on because we have 2 dogs sleeping with us in our bedroom. For the lights outside the house, that is our security against intruders. You know burglars, they are scared of lights.

 

I rarely use the lights during the daytime, unless it's an extremely dark day. One thing I liked about this house when I first looked at it is that most of the rooms get a lot of natural light, so they're light and bright. Even at night, I tend to use lamps, rather than overhead lights. I don't unplug most things when they're not in use, but I use a lot of power strips, so sometimes I'll just flip those off.

 

I am the same way, I run around behind my two kids turning off the lights they leave on. I once turned off 8 lights that weren't being used all throughout my house. Then I remind them about the money we are wasting when we leave lights on. I know it may only be pennies but every penny adds up and the thought of wasting energy just puts me over the edge. It just seems so wasteful. I have some lights on timers so they will automatically turn off.

 

My electric bill doesn't change very much. I keep lights off most the time if I'm not in a room, but sometimes I just like to have the house lit up because it's dark outside so I'll turn on most the lights. But I hate when people leave the bathroom light on, because that's a room not used too often. But then when it's around bedtime and everyone's winding down, I'll sit with only one light on in the living room. Now that it's Fall I have yummy smelling Fall candles so I use those as well. I don't unplug things at night though, that'd be a lot of unplugging.

 

I do turn off lights whenever the room is not being used and although I don't get worked up whenever this isn't followed, I admit it makes me uncomfortable because I always grew up with this type of discipline and whenever I see lights turned on in an empty room I sort of cringe at the waste being made. Ironically, I don't have a problem when air conditioners are turned on in empty rooms because I think even if no one is there to enjoy the temperature it is just building up for when someone does come in and use it, unlike with light where it doesn't really amount to anything when you keep it on for longer without anyone using it.

 

Turning off lights whenever they're not needed has been embedded in my system ever since I was young so I never let any unneeded lighting fixture remain open in my own home. However, we do let some lights to remain on every night because my mom is never comfortable with the whole house being dark every time we sleep. It's her way of preventing burglars to try and rob us.

 

I never turn them on to begin with lol.. and yes, when I see one on that nobody is using, I turn it off. Not to save money, but because I'm not a fan of unnatural light for some reason. And I'm not blind lol.. I don't really need light for much of anything unless it's pitch black and I need to read something or find my way. So I guess I save us a lot of money.. but then my husband seems to think he's blind and will turn on the light for just about everything, regardless of how bright the house is during the day lol.

 

I grew up in a household that stressed turning off lights when you left the room. It made sense to me then and I do it now as an adult. Why waste energy, even it's pennies? I do not unplug though even though I have surge protectors that I 'could' turn off at night by flipping a switch, but... I just don't.

Fortunately, I don't need to turn on a porch light at night, because at the curb in front of my house is a street light that lights up my front yard and the front of my house.

 

There was a time I shared an apartment with someone and this person always left the lights on. I did find it annoying and kept reminding him to turn off the lights but he never changed. He always had a convenient excuse. He forgot. Yeah, right.

I always have all my lights off. Since I watch movies in the evenings most neighbors think I'm never home at that time because no lights will be on. I know it does make a difference.

 

I am alright with turning lights off. Well as long as there is one light on. I do not really like being in complete darkness. I am for some reason afraid of the dark no matter how old I get haha. I do not ever believe an unknown monster is going to grab me, I really do not know why the dark is scary to me. I get afraid of the dark too when I watch something scary. My whole family is fans of horror stuff... So I just leave one light on, then I am all good.