Porch Light Safety: Leave it On or Turn it Off? | Safewise (2024)

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Porch Light Safety: Leave it On or Turn it Off? | Safewise? ›

Here's when to turn the porch light on

A Porch Light Can Keep Intruders Away

It is harder to sneak around the property of a well lit home, so having some sort of night lights can successfully ward off seedy people. On the other hand, leaving a porch light on while you are away for work or vacation may signal to burglars that no one is home.

Leaving on lights at all times doesn't seem to be an effective way to deter crimes. With a little planning and some home automation equipment, you can use lighting to your advantage and get better peace of mind. Expect a call from an ADT Security Specialist as soon as possible.

It's a fairly common home security tip that is passed around, but you may be wondering if leaving the outside lights on deters burglars. The truth is that it helps a small portion of potential burglaries, but overall, it's not an effective method to rely on.

Turning your porch lights on when you are home at night is a wise idea. It alerts others to the fact that you are home and up and about. When combined with having other lights on in the house, the porch light typically deters burglars.

One reason could be to deter potential intruders or burglars, as a well-lit porch can make it harder for them to approach the house undetected. Another reason could be for safety reasons, as a porch light can help people navigate the steps and walkway to the house safely.

Burglars are always searching for unoccupied homes. So having your lights on 24 hours a day while you are out for a holiday is just like a beacon to them: “I'm not at home!” And the combination of lights on and blinds closed could also create an attractive location for the burglars.

Q:Do outdoor lights use a lot of electricity? A: In a word, no. Outdoor lights nowadays use LEDs rather than filament bulbs which are less energy efficient.

For many properties, a better solution for security lighting is to use a bulkhead or porch light fitted with a low power 600-900 lumens (9/11w) compact fluorescent lamp. These units can be left lit all night, providing all night security, for only a few pounds of electricity per year.

When should you turn off porch light? ›

A 60-watt incandescent bulb used for 12 hours per night can cost around $2.16 per month. CFL: More energy-efficient and longer-lasting than incandescent bulbs. A 14-watt CFL used for 12 hours per night costs approximately $0.50 per month.

The brightest lighting methods--such as CFLs and incandescent bulbs--tend to attract the most bugs, so how do you illuminate your porch in a way that doesn't bring the insect hordes, but still provides sufficient light?

Less is more when it comes to using lights to deter burglars, it turns out. If you use smart lighting functionality through your home security system to make it seem as though someone is home, this may deter a burglar. If you simply leave your lights on all day and all night, you could do the opposite.

There is no clear scientific evidence that increased outdoor lighting deters crimes. It may make us feel safer, but it has not been shown to make us safer.

It depends on what you want. Security, safety or aesthetics. If you want to show the path to your door for the safety of returning residents or visitors, have some outdoor lights on all night—you won't have to do that if you install sensor-lights which come on automatically when movement is detected.

Modern lights are safe to leave on for a week, though it isn't advisable. If you forgot to turn them off, LED bulbs are unlikely to overheat, trip electrics, or start a fire. On the other hand, incandescent, halogen, or fluorescent lights should never be left on for a week.