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Original poster

Remotely turning off appliances (lights mainly!) - is there a gadget?

33 replies

Midpmcoffee · 03/09/2022 07:05

Pet peeve of mine is when I get back from work / day out and one of my children in their rush to get out has left a light on all day!

anything I can buy to reduce my frustration levels?

TIA

OP posts:
dmask · 03/09/2022 08:22

You can get 4 plugs for £20 on Amazon. You can also plug an extension cable to the wall with one to make them go further. Especially good for Christmas time!!

WeAllHaveWings · 03/09/2022 08:29

saleorbouy · 03/09/2022 07:23

My father docked 10p off pocket money everytime he found lights left on in our bedrooms, we soon learnt to conserve energy or we were soon out of pocket.
Teach them responsibility and fix the lax behaviour rather than find a gadget.

I would go with this (with inflation added on!). If they are old enough to lock the front door when leaving they are old enough to turn the lights off before they go.

Maybe stick a note on the inside of the door for the first couple of weeks.

Original poster
Midpmcoffee · 03/09/2022 08:33

dmask · 03/09/2022 08:21

Wi-Fi plugs. You don’t need Alexa, you control on an app. All my lights are controlled this way. Good for side lights and bedtime - you don’t have to get out of bed. I also turn them on and off when on holiday to look like someone is in.

This sounds spot on.

any recs?

OP posts:
Original poster
Midpmcoffee · 03/09/2022 08:36

The children are good.

but my son is chronically disorganised and often rushes back in to the house to grab something and leaves the light on.

It is a flashpoint of annoyance for me but I know that it’s him being 12 and rushing in desperate not to miss bus sort of palaver.

and over the years - I have learned to pick battles with tweens and teens. So if there is something I can do to ease the trigger points where he’s dashing in like a blue arsed fly to grab his rugby boots in order to get the bus and leave a light on, which then peeves me off when I get home - then that’s what I’ll do.

He tries so hard and I see that, so where I can… i will

OP posts:
dmask · 04/09/2022 18:52

Nooie are good, I use the smart life app to control them. I do have Alexa enabled too (you don’t have to if you don’t have one), but it makes it easy saying ‘bedroom off’, or ‘sitting room on’ etc. I don’t like overhead lights, so have a lot of side lights. At Christmas I run all the fairy lights off one smart plug on an extension lead, then I can just say ‘Christmas on’!!!

Cynderella · 04/09/2022 19:12

Our TV and set top boxes are plugged in behind a heavy chest - we bought this, so that we could turn them all off together by asking Alexa, but they have an app that you can use instead. I think the standby costs saved for 18 hours a day will cover the outlay. Years and years ago, we bought remote control plugs to turn on electric blankets from downstairs - as said, they cost about £5 each, so you could use them to turn lamps on and off, but it wouldn't be money saving.

dmask · 04/09/2022 19:21

Also great for garden lights, and if you use any heated styling equipment. I plug my tongs into one so I know they are always turned off when I leave the house. I once couldn’t remember if I’d turned them off after setting off for a weekend away and had to do a 2hr u-turn. I had turned them off so was very frustrating 😂

ElegantlyTouched · 04/09/2022 20:16

I have an Amazon smart plug. Don't have an Alexa, just the Alexa app on my phone.

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