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?

Oh I forgot I also put my outside light on if I go out after dark or coming back in the dark. It helps to be able to see to put the key in the lock quickly when I get home. I expect that's frowned upon too, but it's very dark on my street.

It wouldn't even occur to me to leave lights on when out, and I don't think I'd notice if others didn't either.

Although I guess it depends on where you live. I live in an area where a lot of people don't bother to lock their doors, in fact ours was left swinging open in the breeze when we went on holiday once...

I leave a light on when I go out - when I remember. I live alone most of the time when my DC are at uni and I prefer to not to come back to a dark house.

@BruceAndNosh

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

Not at all! In terms of what gets nicked, a friend's teen even had faux jewellery nicked because they were just grabbing what they could. It had sentimental value as her gran had bought it for her.

I think in London a lot of people have a bit of cash for emergency cabs. Then xboxes and playstations can be nicked.

I’ve got my curtains closed so you wouldn’t know whether my lights are on or not, riddle me THAT, Mumsnet burglars.

@NiceGerbil

I'm also guessing that OP interest in goings on would mean cops called at hint of trouble!!

7pm would be a shit time to break in surely. Risk people come home from work.

If I were a pro I'd look for out all day/ hols personally.

Neighbours down our road were broken into earlier this year. At 7pm. At the only point in the day they weren't in. Someone was watching the house. In which case a timer won't help.

I think a timer could actually be worse in terms of security. If someone is watching your house and the same light comes on at the exact same time every day then it's very obviously a timer.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 They don’t actually, if you get the right ones. And even if they did, you do what you can for the planet, right? In my country we cycle a LOT instead of taking the car. Sort our waste, in detail. Schools and nurseries basically only serve vegetarian food and many people eat meat very rarely to save our environment. Plastic bags in shops are 60 pence each. If you think we ruin the planet because we have some of our LED lights on during 24h of darkness, well I’m sorry but you are looking at the wrong person.. 😂

I have lights that come on automatically, it's slightly random times but linked to a weather station so it knows when it's getting dark. But in my area there have been a lot of house burglaries for car keys lately and they are almost always in the early hours when people are asleep in bed.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 but you might be happy to know that during summer we have 24h sun, so no need for LED lights on.

Its one of the things I like about amazon echo. I have got smart plugs with lights in in every room in the house and can set up different patterns of lighting. I can also just tell alexa to switch on certain lights or all of them remotely from wherever I am if any of the cameras are triggered...btw the cams are for bird watching and keeping an eye on my tortoises when they are indoors spring and autumn.

@JustLyra

I think a timer could actually be worse in terms of security. If someone is watching your house and the same light comes on at the exact same time every day then it's very obviously a timer.

I agree so weve started using smart bulbs. We can turn lights on and off in the house with our phones so can put them on and off randomly. You can even set up the app to switch lights on and off in a random pattern so that you don't even have to do it yourself and so that potential burglars can't detect that it's on a timer.

Only time I was burgled was when I was in bed it was during the night. Other than that
Was told by a PC to get an outside security light with a motion sensor as a deterrent.

@JustLyra

I think a timer could actually be worse in terms of security. If someone is watching your house and the same light comes on at the exact same time every day then it's very obviously a timer.

Every couple of days adjust the timers, it takes seconds.

I use a smart timer so the dog isn't sat in the dark. Really wish I had one when I lived alone as I hated arriving home to a dark house.

We have spotlight security cameras so if out we'd get a notification if they were set off

@JustLyra

I think a timer could actually be worse in terms of security. If someone is watching your house and the same light comes on at the exact same time every day then it's very obviously a timer.

I’ve got a 7 day timer with 4 settings per day, so you can have it coming on and going off at 4 different times each day.

@Littleducks

I don't leave lights on, doesn't seem eco friendly.

Use LED bulbs.

I like sitting in the dark

we have 9 people here who have various routines so inevitably at least one person is someone is up from 6.30am till say 2am. (2 nights ago I couldn't sleep until 5am)

so the lights go on & off more unpredictably & randomly than an algorithm could ever dream to match

some people go to bed early I guess, or just have street "side" rooms dark because they are in other rooms

@Mamlife

I like sitting in the dark

So you would be in then? And can bash the burglars as soon as they appear?

My neighbours were broken into last year just after 7pm. House was dark.

There's a lot more ring doorbells and motion triggered security lights on this street now.

@ThePoisonousMushroom

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

It's not just the stealing though, its the fact someone's been in your home rummaging through all your personal things. They've probably smashed a window or door to gain entry leaving the place unsecured with broken glass everywhere, and leaving your things strewn all over. Then there's the palaver with insurance and replacement glazing, and the fear of entering your home alone after dark, lying awake listening to your house creaking and wondering if someone's creeping about.

My kitchen is at the back, if I close the door (to keep heat in) it would look like no one was home

If we are going out (or at night) I have a living room light that’s triggered by outside motion and stays on for five minutes (trying to make it look like someone’s home and turned the light on because they heard something outside