turning lights on and off

74jax

Hubby is obsessed with turning lights off when we leave a room saying we're using too much energy. It's driving me mad. Does it really use that much energy or does it use more switching then on and off?

If he leaves a room to go upstairs he even turns the stairs light off meaning it's dark coming back down.

I totally get it if we are leaving a room but not when just wandering round the house .

I'm hoping I can find something which says turning them on and off to often is worse than leaving them on for a while. Yes DD might forget to turn her bedroom light off for hours and I get that annoyance but not this.

Georgiegirl256

My husband is always leaving lights on, and it drives me mad! In particular the kitchen light, 9 times out of 10 he forgets to turn it off, i say it's like living with the Blackpool Illuminations!

I don't know how much energy they use, I guess it depends on what kind of bulb it is, but it is blooming annoying having people leave them on all the time.

ETA: Ah, just re-read your OP, and understand what you're meaning now.

Person_one

Here you are:

http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/when-turn-your-lights

Basically, you're right!

theoretica

How about a bulb with motion sensor for the stairs?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MOTION-SENSOR-PIR-BULB-BAYONET/sim/B0039WY08O/2

If you use the compact fluorescent tube type (the energy saving ones that have been around for a while) then the advice is to leave them on for 5 to 15 minutes out of the room - not because of the energy used turning them, but because turning them on and off shortens their life and they cost to replace.

Here is a reference for you:
http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/when-turn-your-lights

BitterAndTwisted

Does he limit the amount of loo-paper you're allowed to use as well?

Leaving a light burning is probably costing about a couple of pence a day

Lily-Rose_3

I always like to make sure lights are switched off when nobody is in the room, but switching them off for a half minute, just to switch it back on again, seems daft.

And yes as 'person one' said (and the link they put up,) it can be counter-productive. Kinda like dropping off four people in your car, one after the other half a mile apart, and switching off the engine every time,and restarting it: you'd use more petrol that way.

No need to turn off the lights for just a minute.

katglasgow

You are clearly living with my husband!!!

The turning off the stair lights in particular drives me mad, hall too grr

Tiddlywinks

OP - is he generally a worrier? Is this his way of trying to feel in control of the bills?

mgdavid

we are just about to travel this road too - I've just had an elec bill for well over £300 for the quarter. CH and cooking is all gas. :eek:

Stephb1986_2

When I go to my OH's house I go around turning off the majority of the lights, telly's because for one he is on a metre since his dad didn't pay the electric bill, yet he's the one leaving all the electrical stuff on! Grrr!

I say to my OH it's not a bloody lighthouse!

I'm just trying to save him money

Steph

zagfles

Get energy saving bulbs, especially for the hall and landing where you need light but not strong reading-quality light.

It's simple to work out how much it's costing you leaving them on. Look at the wattage of the bulbs, add them up, divide by 1000 (to get KW) and multiply by the amount you get charged for a unit (KWH) of electricity (usually around 12p or so - depending on your supplier). That's how much it costs per hour.

We've got 4 11W bulbs in the hall and landing, so it costs about half a penny an hour to keep them on.