Why do Brits live in darkness except for December?

[Swedegirl48]

I am Swedish and at home if you walk down a street, most houses will have lamps in some of the windows, outside lights and usually people don’t draw curtains so you can see the lights from within the houses. I was asking British DH today why Brits tend to light up their houses so enthusiastically in December, but the rest of the year people draw their curtains and no one seems to put lamps in the windows (at least not where we live which is London). I am the only person in my street who has a lamp in every window of my house and leave some on overnight too. I think I am trying to overcompensate for my very dark street.

I agree. Only the Swedes out of all the countries I have visited seem to do this.

Electricity in Sweden must be cheap I have always thought.

I noticed the softly lit lamps in windows when visiting Sweden and found it cheerful, cosy and comforting. The lights weren't bright enough to cause light pollution, just a soft glow. We were still able to star gaze on streets with window lamps.

Comments about the cost of electricity are fair enough (although my favourite lamp costs .002 pence per hour) but like the OP I think it looks lovely.

A led bulb is incredibly cheap to run. If you have one lit for 6 hours it costs about 0.012 punds a day. In a month that's an extra 36p on your electricity bill. Most people could afford that, even if you have a lamp in 4 rooms that would still only be an extra £1.44 month.

Curtains keep my rooms much warmer and cosier. I wouldn't feel comfortable without curtains.

I do close my curtains at the front don't like the feeling that people can see in but I can't see out. I don't have any curtains or blinds downstairs at the back of the house.

I also have lights over my front porch they are on a timer to come on when it gets dark and go off about 11pm so I guess that does provide light which is visible from the street

But why does it need to be used? Why not light the rooms people are in?

It was in the news just a day or two ago that they are trialling no street lamps at all in certain areas in the UK, to save money. The article said how typical it is that womens' safety is the lesser priority, as per usual.

I don’t think it’s really a British thing. I think it’s mostly just practical/logical.

I shut the curtains when it’s dark and have lamps on in the room I’m in. If we left the curtains/blinds open, you would be able to see straight in from outside and that’s a bit weird to me. I would also find it a waste of energy/money leaving lights on around the house if we are not in the room.

Of course, there’s going to be more lights in Dec. People put fairy lights and other decorative lights up. It’s pretty and I love seeing them In the windows and gardens, but it’s a Christmas thing.

@Swedegirl48 how come DH has to put up with the window being open?

If you have no curtains where do you get changed with all your lights letting the neighbours see into your house?

I am so glad you said that because I also find this uniquely British obsession quite bizarre. I lived most of my life in northern Europe and, although, we don't have lamps in the windows, we have never closed our curtains. I am not even sure we had any more "curtains" than a sheer organza window dressing for decorative purposes. We watch TV, have sex and change out clothes and don't suspect our neighbours picking up their binoculars and lining up the streets and roofs to spy on us.
Closing curtains makes me feel like I am locked in a box and closed curtains in bedrooms make it very difficult to wake up in the morning.

Because I won’t put up with them being closed 😊

My bedroom is on the third floor (loft conversion) so no one can see me walk around naked, unless my neighbour flew drone to look in.

I sleep with my bedroom window open too. I like a bit of fresh air when I sleep.

Any room not in use in my house has the lights off. Tbh I'm not really sure what you're asking. Are you saying we should light up all our rooms regardless of whether they're in use?

Our windows have trickle vents so we always have some kind of ventilation in even the coldest of weather.

We are both light sleepers so having the windows open means that neither of us would get much sleep (we back on to a railway line).

Re no curtains - In summer I wouldn't be able to sleep in such bright light.

We watch TV, have sex and change out clothes and don't suspect our neighbours picking up their binoculars and lining up the streets and roofs to spy on us.

I wouldn't want our neighbours being able to see us doing the second two activities. I don't think it is bizarre to want to do these privately. We aren't exhibitionists.

I have a big fear of people climbing through the window so never have windows open during the night. Luckily though I can lock them on a slight open so can still get air.

I was meh about everything until I saw you have no curtains. I mean what in the actual fuck.

If you read the thread you’ll know.

My children have blinds actually. The back of the house faces the garden which is not overlooked. The rooms people can see into are 2 studies and our dining room. We have got quite a lot of privacy, but that wasn’t really the point of my thread (for me anyway).

This thread is quite funny. OP, I don't think there is any need to have lamps on all night in all windows. People have enough to do as it is.

The vast majority of people live in towns or cities which are never pitch black due to street lighting, traffic glare, etc etc. Where is it you live with all your lamps?

I'm in London and we have lights either side of the front door. If anyone approaches the house down the drive (from the front) or within about 5 meters of the house from the back garden, security lights go on. We don't have curtains, we have wooden shutters, built-in outside window boxes and wrought-iron balconies. We have no window ledges as this house was built in 1830 and clearly window ledges mustn't have been deemed necessary then (for your lamps). Well, there was no electricity then was there?

These days it's mostly decorative, both from the inside and outside, and it makes the home look cosy. It used to be to signal that you were home and that if anyone was in trouble they can come knocking. It's also quite nice when you are outside and you see that there is life in the houses around you, it makes you feel safer.

I do the same op. Swedish descent too.
In my village it is very lit up thankfully and makes me happy to drive past.

I didn’t like France at night as they use (metal often) shutters and no sign of life at all and it felt isolating and scary.

This is it. There is no sign of life until everyone springs into action in December and makes up for the rest of the 11 dark months.

I live in London with all my lamps.

It used to be to signal that you were home and that if anyone was in trouble they can come knocking.

This here is the problem. This is not the mumsnet way, it feels like most mumsnetters are horrified at the thought of even opening the door to their own relatives without a pre warning text.

So why do it? You live in an enormous city with no need to ‘cheer up’ a street full of streetlights and other people, or to signal to lost, wandering strangers that they’re welcome to knock on the door?