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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there is no light bulb that can switch itself off after a set time?

49 replies

Namethatchanges · 20/02/2023 07:09

My son has ASD and just can’t remember to turn the bathroom light off. So he’s up late at night and I just want the sodding light off while we all sleep but it’s on every morning. With the cost of living its winding me up. I was even looking for those buttons like they have in blocks of flats in the stairwell. Where they pop out after a time and the light goes off. Any ideas? It’s getting to me and before anyone says, it’s been years of trying to make it a habit for him - nothing works!

OP posts:
Original poster
Namethatchanges · 20/02/2023 07:10

By the way he’s a young adult so I can’t make him go to bed early.

OP posts:
Inkypinkee · 20/02/2023 07:11

What type of fitting does the bulb need to be? I might be able to find what you are looking for. We have various ones in our house which are automated.

Nimbostratus100 · 20/02/2023 07:12

well, you can get a very lower power one that is cheap to run

but I know my friend has a light bulb in her kitchen that switches itself off, she put it in by mistake, and it is a very difficult setting to reach, so it has been there for years now.

BillyMack · 20/02/2023 07:12

Smart light bulbs can be configured to switch off after a certain time.

Combine it with a motion sensor in the bathroom and nobody will be caught in the dark.

I used hive in the past to do something similar.

frenchnoodle · 20/02/2023 07:12

www.amazon.com/motion-sensor-light-bulbs/s?k=motion+sensor+light+bulbs

They come on when there is movement and turn off when there isn't.

OhmygodDont · 20/02/2023 07:15

depending on the bulb fitting use a motion sensor bulb.

picklemewalnuts · 20/02/2023 07:18

That's such a great idea. I didn't know there were bulbs available. Fittings, yes, but not bulbs.

SlipperyLizard · 20/02/2023 07:22

We have smart light switches in the kids bedrooms, that are programmed to turn their lights off at 8:15 on weekdays (when they’re definitely not up there any more), so if they’ve left their lights on they’re not on all day. We use Lightwave ones, but others are available.

Or smart bulbs like hive, where you could set a schedule so it turns off at (say) midnight if that’s after he’s gone to bed?

SlipperyLizard · 20/02/2023 07:23

Actually a motion sensor switch is probably better - we have one in our utility room and it works well.

SherlocksDeerstalker · 20/02/2023 07:24

We have motion sensor lights in all bathrooms for this reason.

Clarinet1 · 20/02/2023 07:24

In some public spaces there are loos where the light goes on when the door is opened. It then goes off when you leave. Could you maybe get something like that?

ZenNudist · 20/02/2023 07:28

Smart light bulbs can be programme to switch off and on at certain times

KatiePerrier · 20/02/2023 07:29

Phillips Hue does this. I bought them in frustration in the days when my teens left lights on all night. The kitchen and bathrooms have 24 spotlights and I’d come downstairs in the morning to find them all on regularly.

You can set up routines for each room. Add motion sensors (I have them on the stairs and landings so if you trigger one the lights come on for three mins from dusk til dawn).

All my lights switch off at 11pm.

Enko · 20/02/2023 07:31

Yes motion centered lights.
Hue lights

Or you could connect it to the door closing. However this only works if he closes the door

Oysterbabe · 20/02/2023 07:36

What bulb is in there? They really don't cost much.
Running a 3W LED is estimated to cost £0.0005 per hour. Keeping the light on on 24/7, 365 days a year costs an estimated £4.38 a year.

StatisticallyChallenged · 20/02/2023 07:37

We have motion sensor bulbs in a few places. Just look like normal bulbs and were only a couple of pounds each

WeCome1 · 20/02/2023 07:39

You might find that the bulb is more expensive than the electricity used in leaving it on all the time. An every saving bulb is pennies overnight.

mogsrus · 20/02/2023 07:44

You could change the light fitting to a P I R unit , then when you walk in it goes on @ vice Versa, or you could simply change the pull cord to a pir
unit. They cost very little But leaving a led light on will cost absolutely nothing really

Original poster
Namethatchanges · 20/02/2023 07:44

Amazing thank you all! I have some Tapo bulbs but as far as I can tell (they’re quite old now and things have advanced) they can’t be set to go off after a set time only timed for completely off which wouldn’t work for us as I want to be able to have light on after midnight if anyone else needs to go etc
Motion sensor looks the way forward for us! I’ll start investigating.
it’s a normal bayonet style uk fitting push and twist.

OP posts:
Original poster
Namethatchanges · 20/02/2023 07:53

ARGGHH I just realised the bulb is encased in a large opaque cover so bet it won’t be able to motion sense through that.

OP posts:
CeratopsofthePharoahs · 20/02/2023 07:56

We have a lot of Phillips Hue bulbs all connected to Google Home. You can set when they go on and off and we have a motion sensor light in our landing as it gets no natural light and everyone forgets about it!

Original poster
Namethatchanges · 20/02/2023 07:56

You know. I’m starting to think I’ll just let him leave the light on. People who are saying it costs very little anyway are right. I suppose it’s a niggle of mine and I hate it being left on but there are more important things in life aren’t there……

OP posts:
Iwrotethelyricstoaxlf · 20/02/2023 08:00

I bought some re chargeable motion sensor lights.

they stay on for 60 seconds at a time and there’s no need to use the main bathroom light (and the sodding extractor fan) at night now.

TreacleMcDoo · 20/02/2023 08:03

We have a motion sensor in the downstairs toilet so it detects you as you step inside. You can set the sensor to turn the light off after a certain time of no movement detected. If someone sits still and is in there for a while it does turn the light off on them so they have to wave their arm. The timer is set too short so I need to do that, it is on my to do list.

Something like this, it can easily be wired in by an electrician or a handy person.

www.amazon.co.uk/Occupancy-Sensor-degree-Ceiling-Mounted/dp/B00AZ4HIJC