It's my DH turning them on, me turning them off right behind him. And to make matters worse, he turns on a tv or a radio in every room he enters, then walks out the door leaving them all on.

(he also leaves every cupboard door and drawer open, too.)

Um....yes. Dh likes subtle lighting and doesn't mind watching tv or being on the computer with the lights off.

I need light. Watching tv with the lights off bothers my eyes. I like to craft so I want overhead lights on.

THe light over the sink is useless to me unless I'm doing dishes. DH turns that light at night for ??? reason. He'll turn off my overhead light that I'm using because he wants it darker. It's a constant battle. We've put enery saving bulbs in most of the fixtures and agree that a light needs to be on...just not which ones.

DH grew up in a house built in the late 60's. The only lights in the living room were lamps because there was no other fixture. My parents house was built in the late 70's and energy efficient because my dad designed it that way. We had lights where we needed them and zero lamps. I sometimes joke that dh is trying to relive his youth.

adellabedella,

When he gets a little older, they'll call it "second childhood".

That let's one get away with darn near anything.

Enjoy your (midle? age-hood).

Have you noticed (yet) that one's definition of "middle age" seems to vary with the number of one's years?

ole joyful

THe light over the sink is useless to me unless I'm doing dishes. DH turns that light at night for ??? reason.

i turn that light over the sink on every night. i was leaving on the light on the fridge door, but my wife would turn it off. so i fixed the light over the sink and now leave it on. the reason, in case i get up and need to go in the kitchen for something i do not have to fumble for the switch and then be blinded by bright light! the sink light produces just enough to see anything in the way coming thru the den and kitchen, yet is a small 12 watt fl fixture and uses very little electricity.

Oh, I forgot to mention the computer, printer, oven, tv......

Sometimes I will leave a light on in a particular room as a reminder that I need to finish something in there in case I get side-tracked. DH will wonder through the house unbe-knownst to me and turn off the light then come find me and tell me he turned off the light. "Well thanks, dear, now I can go back in there, turn the light back on, and finish whatever".

There are worse household habits when it comes to energy wasting. Many are associated with the bathroom and kitchen. Tripling a 5 min. hot shower will use more electric(if elect. heater) than leaving all your lights on for the day. Also leaving the oven(range) or clothes dryer turned on for long periods will draw a pile of watts.

Since my kids left home I leave the computer on 24/7 at the advice of a computer technician and leave more lights on- I currently am running 27 shop lights 16 hr./day for plants... and my electric bill has dropped considerably.

I can second that part about the kids leaving home and the bill dropping! I was shocked at the drop in our utilities when my stepson moved out. 2 showers/day at 20 minutes each, stereo, tv and lights on in his room all day/night...heater going, woodstove cranked up to full blast (he stayed home all day and worked nights, so he was running the place while we were gone during the day).

CRAZY how much those kids cost!

davidandkasie,

How about using one of those little lights that plug into a wall outlet that have about a 10 watt bulb, that gives just enough light to let one travel around without stubbing toes?

Then, of course, you won't get the "blast" of light that makes it difficult to see much for a few seconds ... (till you open the door of the fridge?). In that case, though, with a little experience, you can stand behind the door and just peek around to find the stuff that you need.

HTH.

o j

davidandkasie,

It helps if, just before you open the fridge door, you close one eye and move the eyelids together on the other so that just a slit remains for light to enter.

Then when the "blast" of light from the fridge is gone ... you'll be able to see something.

HTH.

o j

I'm the light burner in this household. Guilty, guilty as charged.

One thing which is different for me is I chose all of the fixtures (mostly vintage from eBay) and I enjoy looking at them. Just like the items on the walls.

So I will leave the light on over the sink because I enjoy seeing it! My DH comes around and turns everything off and I ask him to turn it back on.

We have small kids, so I don't go out a bunch. We are pretty careful with most spending. These fixtures give me pleasure. So, while other people are will to spend 30 bucks to see a movie and eat popcorn, I'm willing to pay a bit extra each month to enjoy my vintage finds.

Gloria

DH is the culprit here. He complains that I like the dark too much because as well as turning off the lights he leaves burning when he leaves the room, I watch TV in the dark, listen to music in the dark and prepare food in the kitchen without turning on the light. Why do I need to illuminate the crumbs and dust bunnies?

i tried leaving the 4 watt light on the fridge burning, but my wife cuts it off. so we use the 12 watt FL light. since it is recessed in the soffit, the light is diffused enough to be not much brighter than the 4 watt but covering a larger area.

good news this month, we actually went from 43-4400 KWH of usage to about 2600, but then again we have had many mild days that offered some relief. our other conservation efforts are starting to come together as well.

bmoser - I agree with the computer tech leave the computer on, but go ahead and turn off your monitor when you are not using it.
I am guilty of leaving some lights on, simply because I detest walking into a dark room.
That being said, I use compact florescents where I can and I certainly don't leave a light on in every room.
The good news is the days are getting longer!

I've heard that it isn't good for our eyes to watch TV in a room that's totally dark, otherwise.

That such a small spot of intense light in a large area of darkness confuses our eyes, tends to make them enlarge the aperture to accomodate themselves to the darkness - but then the extra light allowed on that one small spot on our retina causes damage.

Has anyone heard more definitive information on that idea?

I hope so.

ole joyful

i forgot to mention that my wife HAS to turn on the light in every room during the day. she does turn them off when she leaves a room, but if she is in there watching tv or folding clothes the lights are on. we have floor to ceiling windows in the den, and yet she will open the curtains AND turn on the overheads if she is in the room more than a few minutes. that was the first room to get CFL's for this reason and the fact that the recessed fixtures are a pain to change the bulbs.

I used to do this but I think I have changed my ways recently. I have some very dark hallways, and turning off lights just made the house too gloomy all day, even in the middle of a sunny afternoon.

I weighed in my extra use of electricty, (both personally) and globally (ie extra demand on the power grid) and found out that if I have two 15w flourescent pot lights on, i would use 3 cents of electricity a day if they were on a whopping 16 hours a day. Being globally conscience of "wasting" electricity this way I found, personally, (not speaking of anyone else - don't get me wrong here), was being penny wise, pound foolish, when I compare my electricity use in other areas, such as my electric oven, my electric baseboard heaters, my computer, driving to work, etc. I know every bit of conservation counts, but at what personal sacrifice?

I admit, I turn off lights/TV when not being used, but one thing I can't stand is a dimly lit room when someone needs to see or read.

I constantly turn lights on for my wife or teenage son when he's doing homework.

Jasper 60103,

" ... dimly lit room ... "

... that wouldn't have anything to do with being a "dim bulb" would it?

I, too, like to have adequate light when I'm doing something, e.g. checking prices of stocks, darning socks, etc.

I've been finding lately that, even with reading glasses, I sometimes need a magnifying glass to read those small print stock price lists. Sometimes increased light (e.g. sunlight, closer to window) helps.

Looks as though it's time for an eye exam and prescription glasses.

Have a great week.

ole joyful

My husband goes crazy worrying about lights left on,like the light in the clothes dryer when the door isn't slammed closed and the green light on my dishwasher that tells me when the load is done.

jannie,

If he and you were on the way to a gathering, in separate cars, as you were going home by different routes, if you were ahead of him and stopped at a light, when the light changed, if you didn't take off right away ...

... think that he'd toot at you?

No, I suppose not - as you guys aren't paying for the power, in that case.

Have a great week.

ole joyful

My husband said the same thing about watching tv in a dark room being bad for your eyes. He put a couple of IKEA mini counter lights on the tv stand behind the television. We don't like having other lamps/lights on in the room (unless I'm crafting) because of the glare on the screen.

I put a couple of cut glass candle shades over the counter lights on account of they were pug-ugly, but I have to admit, it does make it easier on the eyes. And I think there are christmas-light sized bulbs in those things, so they don't use much power.

Don't arrange the lights so that they shine in your eyes.

So that you can see them reflected in the TV screen, either.

Don't need really bright ones, I think.

Don't have a word to say about "ugly".

Dad used to say that beauty was in the eyes of the beholder.

ole joyful

Just change some of the bulbs to compact florecent bulbs. They are much more efficent a hundred watts of light in 15 watts of power and if they are not bright enough then there are 60 watt one that are equal to 200 watts. If every family in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with an energy-saving model, we could reduce global warming pollution by more than 90 billion pounds, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road. So, replace your incandescent bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescents, which now come in all shapes and sizes. You'll be doing your share to cut back on heat-trapping pollution and you'll save money on your electric bills and light bulbs. I ahve another post with more information here about global warming but my basic idea is to get everyone in the country no the world to change bulbs.

I agree that we must work toward alleviating global warming.

But some of us judge that the claim made by some people recommending using a 13 or 15 watt compact fluorescent to replace a 60 watt incandescent bulb or a 20 - 25 watt one to replace a 100 wat incandescent are overstating the case. It seems to me that I don't get an equal amount of light from the smaller wattage unit as indicated above.

The fact remains that one does get a great deal more light from the same amount of energy used when using fluorescent lights, whether of the regular or compact variety.

If you can do some other things to reduce energy use and global warming, please do.

If sea levels go up three or four metres - or even possibly six or seven - not only will they need huge levees around New Orleans ... a large number of other cities around the world will have huge problems, as well, as many are built close to sea level.

ole joyful

When determining what energy saving devices to use, don't forget to factor in the initial energy and waste created to manufacture the product in the first place. Fluorescent bulbs use diffferent gasses inside than standard bulbs, more plastic in many styles, and take more energy to manufacture. I'm not sure how many hours of use would be needed to overcome the extra costs to the environment but the new compact bulbs have never worked as long as advertised...

Almost all of my bulbs of CFs, even outside. They are much cheaper to run that incandescents. When I lived in a one bedroom all electric apartment in Seattle I changed out all my bulbs with CFs. My electric bill dropped by over a third! There's no air conditioning and only heat in a few winter months so the savings was due entirely to the bulbs. I'm sold.

wyntermarie,

I, too, am interested in the wisdom of following some of the advice of some who favour energy conservation, when they recommend that we change to energy-efficient vehicles (among other things).

We should assume that such action involves scrapping the vehicle that I am using now, for what sense does it make for me to stop using it - and have someone else use it?

Shouldn't we also consider how much energy it takes to produce a new (energy efficient - apart from SUVs) vehicle: mine the metals (and use precious petroleum to manufacture plastic), haul them to the processing plant, then to the fabricating plant, then to the assembly plant, then to the sales place.

Apart from the costs involved.

If we lost half of the life of the prematurely scrapped car, then shouldn't a proportionate amount of the life of the new energy-efficient vehicle we balanced against the extra energy use that would be required to keep that older vehicle on the road through its normal life span?

Without considering the energy cost of crushing the old vehicle, hauling it to the foundry to be melted down and made into a form ready for reuse?

As some guys said a while ago when discussing ecological concerns and global warming - follow the dollars.

I am not convinced that the extra fuel used by my old car through the rest of its life justifies all of that energy used to pay part of the energy cost of building its energy-efficient replacement.

Apart from the (wasted) dollars.

I hope that you all have a great day.

ole joyful

I went to night school and, I still cant see in the dark! lol

They have lights in refrigerators? LOL What will they think of next?

It's true that an energy saving lightbulb is a more expensive item than a regular bulb, and it does consume more energy/resources to make it. It also contains mercury.

However, I still believe it's a better financial and environmental choice.

They last longer, anywhere from 6000 - 12000 hours. I still have the first one I bought which is from the early 1990's and been in use in the hallway since then. Regular bulbs may have less embodied energy, but they only last about 1000 hours so you have to make, transport and package 6-12 of them to match an energy saver. Ordinary bulbs also consume far more energy in use, which certainly negates any energy saved in their manufacturing.

Regular bulbs do have the advantage of being entirely harmless when thrown away as they contain very little if anything hazardous to the environment. Energy savers have mercury in them, which has bought them criticism, but it's not the full picture as electricity production in most countries involves burning coal which releases a whole range of toxic substances in to the environment, and mercury is one of them. By using a substantially larger quantity of energy a regular bulb will generate a lot more mercury pollution. Also, while not happening yet with domestic energy savers, recycling of the glass and reuse of the mercury is possible.

A couple of years ago I bought a CFL bulb.

Installed it in the table lamp on my desk, near the computer.

Hung a lampshade (configured for regular lights bulbs) on it - rather precariously, as you can imagine.

Within a couple of months, while chasing a fly, I hit the lampshade.

Farewell, energy-saving (and expensive) bulb.

No 10,000 hours there.

Less than a couple of hundred, I'd say - maybe upwards of 300, as I tend to hang around too late at night ...

... then sleep through some good daylight.

Trouble is - it's hard to configure desk, computer table etc. so I have daylight enough to work at the desk without needing a bulb shining in the daylight, but so that the image of the window doesn't glare on the computer screen, etc.

Life do have its problems!

Added to which - the bulb is still around (I think, as it may have been thrown into the garbage when I moved last year).

I don't know what to do with it - we aren't supposed to throw regular fluoresent bulbs into the garbage, as they have that dangerous coating on the inside.

Aren't supposed to break them, either.

What do we do with them, should we happen to commit such a grievous error?

Supoosed to take old paint and other hazardous stuff ...

... to the landfill, ourselves.

Which costs gas, to travel out of my way while doing other errands.

Plus - they want a fee to have me go into the place, depending on the size of my vehicle (and the kind and amount of the stuff).

Problems, everywhere!

It's this modern life, I think - yes, that must be it.

ole joyful

When I moved from my apartment, I reinstalled the old incandescent bulbs and have brought the CFs with me to other apartments. I'm using them now in my new house. I haven't had one "go" yet.

Joyful, you can now get CF that are encased in a round "normal-looking" bulb, so you can use them with lampshades.

Thanks, clg7067. Haven't seen such - but I'll look.

One gets some new knowledge and good ideas here.

I've often said - that it's a poor day in which one doesn't learn something (even at an advanced age).

ole joyful

hi,
my d.w.left the house and the bill dropped by 50% not funny but true.
I have used those screw in flourecents for a long time and was sold the first time the savings is on the pack and the amount charged is on your bill a calc. figured out the first time that I saved like 30$ a mo. I now use those all over and have enjoyed the direct savings for yrs I have a 5 yr. old one in my night lamp in the living room and in the basement stairs. I gave these as gifts several times you can get 5packs of them at a sams club for around 20$ I personally think the welfare folks should hand these out.
I,m not sure of all the enviro. hazards but the instant real savings are there . also by using desk lights for tables and even the dining table I feel the savings are there also .
I trained my d.d to shut off the light and rewarded her and she has grown to be the one that tells you if you left it on . growing up in a house with 9 people my stepmom trained us to shut off BIG TIME but she rewarded us witht the savings on the bill she said she would rather pay us than them lol it worked me and my brother both watch for this . Rick

I am not a fanatic when it comes to turning off lights. My mother got re-married when I was a teen and the amount of misery her husband would put us through if we switched on a light when it got dark out, or forgot to turn one off when we left the room. It was not worth it. Even my entire electric bill decades later would not be worth the harrasment this man dished out.

Well he died about 10 years ago. Now when my brother and I visit my mom it is like he still alive. In the evening we can hardly see because her living room and dining room fixtures all have NIGHTLIGHTS in them. Yup, 15 watts. Can barely see the food on your plate.

Another forum on this thread was about frugal vs cheap and one person had a neat quote: Frugal is when I do it to myself, cheap is when I do it to others. The nightlights seem incredibly cheap. The spirit of mom's 2nd husband lives on :(

P.S. I like those energy-saving bulbs, tho. Don't know if I believe that they'll last for years. Last night my overhead light in the bedroom burnt out. If one of those bulbs will fit in the fixture I'm going to give it a whirl!

zeebo,
my Dad made my Mom's life miserable too.

I recall one occassion my Dad put a locking device on the thermostat and the phone.
I don't how my Mom reacted, but the locks were removed the next day. This is just one example of many. Til this day, even though divorced. I still don't believe he understands the pain he caused her.

Anyway, do something extra special for your Mom this Mother's Day season. She probably hung in there mainly for you kids.

-jasper

Thanks, Jasper. Mom's doing great these days, but still uses the night lights in her fixtures. I almost forgot about the thermostat! I am in my 40's and my husband wondered why I had such an aversion to our own thermostat. No one at our house was allowed to touch it, although we were accused of it many times. I never did touch it, and thermostats still have a nasty connotation for me. Like maybe, they're for someone else's comfort, not mine. Fortunately my husband is pretty cool. If there's heat & humidity in the forcast he wants the air on, if it's getting colder, switch it to heat! Gotta love him!

Have a great day, Jasper!

zeebo,

Your stepdad is long gone.

Probably you, having wanted to get back at him - what, 20 years ago? - left lights on to spite him (when you thought he couldn't tie the delinquency to you, so you'd avoid the hassle).

When he was paying the electric bills. So your rebellion did achieve some negative effect upon him.

Now you're living your own life.

He isn't paying your electric bills.

If you choose to follow that path that did cost him something back then, just to spite him ... the person who's being hurt now is ... you. Or your family.

Part of your job now is to operate your life in a way that's most advantageous to you - not to live in the past. In terms of your current life, not to shoot yourself in the foot, so to speak.

Furthermore - how amenable is your mother to changing her habits to ways which would be more appropriate for her? Rather than following paths that, having become well-worn when that man was around, are being followed now primarily through inertia?

Is your mother able to afford a slight increase in her power bill without strain?

Can you get her to change her ways by discussion, using logic?

If so, one of the major reasons for elderly people ceasing to continue in their own homes is from falling, resulting in broken bones or other major trauma, then a stay in hosp., not a pleasant experience - and, as she's likely a resident of the U.S. rather than Canada or Europe, possibly deflating her pocketbook, as well.

Further, after that being unable to operate independently enough to be able to live in their own home any longer.

And one of the reasons for a fall could well be inadequate lighting - even in a home lighted in the usual style, let alone hers. She probably doesn't see as well as she did several years ago, either.

On the other hand, if she dislikes your using know-it-all offsrping's logic on a poor benighted mother, how about using a bit of fun, a charade, etc. to get your point across in a way that will get her start thinking along a different path, rather than having her slam her mental door shut.

For example, check around behind chestrerfield, chairs and drapes, under kitchen table, looking for something.

When Mom asks what you're looking for, say that it's Dad ... for it appears that he's still running things around here, for you're still living like you did with him, rather than in the way you did (more reasonable) before he showed up. Looks as though he's still running things, around here.

Or come up to her with a dog leash in hand and start checking her neck.

When she asks what you're doing, say that you've found a more comfortable leash that you'd like to put on her, for you're interested in her comfort, rather than the one that she's wearing, run by your (long dead) stepfather.

You will know which tack you may be able to take which may have the possibility of helping her evaluate her present lifestyle as it is now, in a more realistic fashion.

Good wishes to you and yours.

ole joyful

joyful guy,
I'm falling off my chair.

brass tacks,

I hope it's not too high a chair - wouldn't want to see you cause yourself any damage, now, would we?

ole joyful

Ha, ha, ole joyful. Got a kick out of your post.

I don't think I left the lights on as a teen to get back at my stepfather. It was plain forgetfulness. Just a once in a while thing. If a person forgets to turn a light off once every two weeks, lets say, does that deserve a heated argument and a grounding? I was a respectful child and did great in school. Never had a call from the cops or came home drunk from a party. But my biggest sin was that my father skipped town and didn't pay child support. Mom's husband reminded my brother and I of this on a daily basis. I know he even resented paying for the food that we ate. He constantly complained about the price of everything and his monthly bills.

You know, as a child I had no control over the situation. I did not choose for my dad to leave. I also begged my mom not to marry this most unpleasant man but my brother and I had no say in the matter. It is unfortunate that I may have cost him a few extra cents on his electricity bill, however I did my best not to eat too much of his food. To this day I think of the saying, eat to live, not live to eat. It was probably what kept me slim.

As for mom, I really love her but have no interest in changing her. I learned one of lifes lessons before I was twenty and it is that you cannot change anyone (no matter how hard you try). You can only change yourself.

zeebo,

On re-reading, I think that I overdid the issue of getting back at your stepdad.

The point that I meant to make, was that thermostats, etc. don't bite.

It was stepdad that took a bite out of your psyche, years ago and the scars remain.

It isn't thermostats that bite - it's stepdads (and others).

Now - don't let a simple little thing like a mechanism, electronic device like a thermostat continue to get you all bent out of shape - the real biter is long gone.

So - bury him, O.K.?

Teach yourself, well, re-teach yourself, that thermostats aren't to be avoided/feared/whatever.

I'm pleased that you have managed to get him, well, at least half-way buried, as far as a lasting influence in your life is concerned.

As for concern with sticking our nose into the lives of others, being kind to your Mom by helping her, if it can be done easily and gently, to do some re-orienting of the way that she does things in her life might be helpful to her.

In a psychic way, as well as the practical one of possibly helping her avoid a fall, for her life might well be happier if she can shake off the voice of the ghost of your stepfather - he may be long dead, but she hasn't got him well and truly buried, either, it seems to me.

Or why wouldn't she run her life now like she did, in a more "reasonable" fashion, before he appeared on the scene?

Help her become "modern" - it's the thing for women to be more independent, right?

In conclusion, I hope that you can forgive me for sticking my nose into your life.

I hope that you and yours have a great summer.

ole joyful

Hi Ole joyful,

well I put my ghosts out there for everyone to "read" so don't worry about your nose and I won't either. I do believe I will take a role in changing our thermostat now that the muggy summer days are approaching (air conditioning). I don't think I was really afraid of it all these years, just got "trained" to never touch it. So I'll remind myself that I'm an adult and it's my house too!

As for mom, visited her this morning and brought some cut peonies from my garden. Ha! You picture her as someone that might take a fall...I caught her between bike riding and going to the golf course. Buuut, you're right in other ways that she hasn't buried the husband quite yet (been 11 years now). However she's shown an interest in dating in the last year.

Hope I haven't angered anyone by getting off-topic. Where is one supposed to go when the thread gets off-topic? See ya, Ole Joyful. You make me smile.

zeebo,

You lit up my day - how's that for being on-topic?

Actually, assisting someone toward a wise idea of turning on a few lights doesn't seem to me to be *too* far off-topic.

Only a slight reversal, might one say?

o j

P.S. Even avid bike-riders can trip over mats (in the somewhat more than semi-dark).

o j

The lamp in our living room stays on all the time, very dark room even during the day. My husband leaves the house at 3am so he doesn't have to turn on a light plus I have a light on so I can see if I have an intruder when the dog goes bonkers. It has a CFL that is quite old...not sure when we bought it.

We use dusk to dawn CFL at the front of the house at the garage door (helps my husband when he leaves so early) and at the back door...my neighbor can see if I have an intruder when his dog goes bonkers.

My granpa did not allow my grandmother to have any lights on because he went to bed 5 or 6 pm EVERY day of his life! She watched the TV in the dark and when we visited we sat in the dark and visited her...very quietly since granpa's bedroom was off the living room! After he died, she did what she wanted after all those years of him bossing her around. Lord, I was so happy for her! She had 10 years of 'doing it MY way!' before she was called home.

My DH will turn off my laptop when I get up long enough to go to the BR, turn off the small light over the sink I leave on until bedtime but sleep on the sofa ALL NIGHT with the TV, VCR, his laptop and living room lights burning all night. I guess my electic appliances use more power than his do. However, he is retired and I am still gainfully employed so I figure I can use all the electic I want!

robinwv,

Thgis is a reiteration of something I've said before, maybe even in this thread - hope you'll forgive me if you've seen it before.

Dad used to say that what I was doing spoke so loudly that he couldn't hear what I said.

Have a great weekend.

Since hubs is retired, thus can't find enough to keep himself busy, no doubt ... I suppose he does quite a lot of meal preparation, running grandkids to baseball practice, washing up, vacuuming, laundry, etc.???

ole joyful

Well my boys do this to certain rooms.. Those are the rooms that got compact fluorescent lighting.... Now if they are left burning.. I know it is not near as bad...