Houses with NO lights on in winter

[BruceAndNosh]

I guess it's more noticeable now the clocks have changed, but both our neighbours' houses are in total darkness at 7pm. It's obvious that no one is at home, the house is empty.
Is this not a security risk?
I think they both have burglar alarms but don't think either of them ever use it.

Yes, I know thousands of people can't afford to leave random lights on, but this isn't the case here.

I hate a dark house and have a couple of lights set to come on automatically at dusk.

What do you do?

I wish I had expensive jewellery for someone to steal! They’d be pretty unimpressed with the Pandora charm bracelet my mum bought me for my 30th that I’ve never worn

I'm beginning to think I'm weird for having lights on!
Damn you mumsnet!

I have outside lights which are on all night (not bright enough to bother neighbourds but light up the drive). We have hardly any streetlights on our road and I wish more people would have outside lights to deter crime. I leave a lamp on in our hall but to be honest we have very secure doors/windows plus several Nest cameras so I don't worry too much about it.

That just seems really weird to me @TrulyPistoff, particularly the window thing because it’s just light pollution. Evening/morning I understand but not after you’ve gone to bed and can’t even see them. And I used to live in a northern European country.

Why are you casing your neighbors?

Honestly, this shit is just stupid, same as the why do you have closed blinds... some people like the dark to relax in, its not a security risk (or do you leave your lights on while you sleep?)

@2tired2bewitty

Although I do often leave a light on somewhere in the house, I don’t truly believe that a determined burglar is going to look at a house with no car on the drive and the landing light on and think “better try somewhere else”.

I was told by a crime prevention officer that most thieves are looking for easy low risk oppotunities and will not bother with property which may be risky so almost any anti-theft measures can help, including leving a light on. Statistically most burglaries take place during the day.

It’s like Blackpool illuminations in our house, lights on all over. Just reading this thread makes me realise our house is very rarely unoccupied since I’ve been wfh.

Yes, destroy the planet to give yourself a sense of security. Sensible folk.

We don't leave lights on, but even if we were home you wouldn't tell from the front - we use the back of the house much more, the front is almost always dark.

so I was burgled, about 5 years ago now, but this time of year and between 3+6pm.. The police told us that this was a really common time for burglaries... dusk, when the clocks change... So it would seem sensible to me to have a lamp on a timer..
We live in a isolated rural farmhouse, but we have cameras now.

I obviously have the lights on if I'm in in the evening.

If I'm going out for the evening, I would turn the hall lamp and outside light on. Not because of a security risk but because it's much nicer to come back to the house with some light and easier to unlock the door.

Never leave lights on in rooms we aren’t using. From the front our house would look like total darkness most evenings even if we are in. Round here burglaries are taking place in early hours of the morning with cctv on and people at home. They don’t seem to care if house is empty or not.

My dog would probably deter them more than having a light on would.

I have insomnia too so lights can go on and off at any time in this house. A burglar will have to rely on more than a dark house to guess if anyone is home.

Ritasueandbobtoo9

Yes, destroy the planet to give yourself a sense of security. Sensible folk.

Heard of eco friendly LED lights? You should get some, it’s what sensible folk do.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9

Yes, destroy the planet to give yourself a sense of security. Sensible folk.

I don't think a couple of lights on timers for a few hours each evening is going to 'destroy the planet'. I hope people aren't going to start gluing themselves to motorways in protest at that. Not now there's loads of people WFH and using the lights and electricity/gas all day anyway. It's sensible to not make it obvious you are out IMO.

Our house is totally dark from the outside in winter because we have thermal/blackout blinds and curtains at all the windows. They're really well fitted and not even a chink of light shows.
I quite like the thought that nosy people won't know whether we're in or out.

The impact of the light pollution on wildlife is much less negligible than the energy use.

Our living room and kitchen are both at the back of the house with the study and dining room at the front. Our house will look dark from about 9pm once all dc are in bed and finished in the bathroom. I’ve never considered that someone would have an opinion about my dark house. In fact all the living rooms in our road of different style but new ish build homes are at the back.

I’ve just gone and checked all the doors are locked and turned on an outside light All this talk of burglars entering while I sleep is making me nervous This from someone who (more than once) has gone out for the day and left the front door open.

@Babdoc

What would burglars actually bother breaking in for? Nobody keeps wads of cash in their house, and if you are out, you have presumably taken your car, keys, credit card and phone with you. In my house, they would be very disappointed unless they fancy trying to lug away a few thousand paperbacks, with a resale value of about 1p each!

When our house was burgled they took laptops, tablets, cash and jewellery boxes. The scum even took my gin! The police advised us to get an alarm and always have a light on in the house after dark. They said a dog would also be a good deterrent but sadly I can't have one.

Our living room is at the back so you wouldn't see the lights

If we’re not at home, the lights are off. I’m not paying to light an empty house.

Same.

@FawnFrenchieMum

I’m in bed now at 8pm so from the outside our house looks in total darkness but we’re very much in. My DS’s room probably has the lights on but he’s round the back so no one would know, also when we’re in the kitchen it appears no one’s home.

Missing point of thread, but I'm jealous of you to be already in bed!