apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have one lamp in my home on a timer, goes on at dusk and off around midnight.

It's nice if I'm out and come home there's at least one light on.

If I go away I know the cat won't be in the dark and it will appear someone is home.

When it goes off it's a reminder to get to bed!

i always leave one lamp on at night , always ...

Ana, good point about the timer. That would have been a good subject for a post.

I do the exact same thing Ana, even down to the bedtime.

I do leave the light on above the kitchen sink 24/7, I wonder if this is in any way dangerous? I tried to use a light sensor to let it off in the daylight, but it never worked properly and it has one of those awful, takes 2 hours to warm up CFLs in it. I can't reach it to turn it on/off regularly.

Hmm, maybe I'll use it as a topic for my own post!
http://rearrangeddesign.blogspot.com/


Laurie, My mom always left our stove hood light on in the kitchen and there was never a problem.

I like to leave one bedside lamp on during the day, especially now that it gets dark early. It makes coming home a bit nicer.

It's not very green to leave lights on all night. We keep flashlights in the drawers of our bedside tables instead.

To Lisa (Montreal) - With CFLs available with various options these days, a 15 watt bulb burning almost full time takes up very little energy. I've left a light on 24/7 on in my living room for years using CFLs - for safety (appear someone is home) and for my plants in the winter.

I also use a bluer one in a desk lamp (painted white inside) for a brighter light to keep my internal clock a bit more in step with a 16 hour day.

Oh and I use 15 watt bulbs in my bedroom too that is more of a "soft white". That lamp has a gold lining and brown outer layer so it's not as sharp to my senses when I get ready for bed.

I've been using CFLs since they started to become more available in 1995 when they were $18 a bulb, in my living room. If you recycle them correctly (because of the mercury) they are a very sound way to get the light you need, lower your electric bill and be green.

I have a very silly question...

I'm trying to find the ultimate lighting that has that lovely yellow glow of the first picture. I can't seem to find a lightbulb that I like, but what would everyone say about the shade? Should I look specifically for a certain color or texture?

I want that nice warm glow.

I love the ambience of a lamp left on in the bedrooms & bathroom. It drives my husband nuts.....but it makes a home feel cozy to me.

My lamp is on my desk, but from my bed as it shines through my Expedit (room divider)? It looks gorgeous? Really warm and welcoming and cheerful.

I believe with CFLs it's cheaper to leave them on rather than turn them on and off because they require a bigger hit of electricity to turn them on than to keep them on (because they are fluroscents).

I keep a lamp on in my kitchen at night so if you go in to get something to eat or drink then you don't have to turn on the light and wait for it to become bright enough.

I also leave my landing light on as it lights both the landing and the hall - and you don't break your neck going upstairs to the bathroom ;)

They also do make the house much cosier.

Here almost all the lamps have CFL's - with the exception of two lamps that don't seem to fit anything but a weird lightbulb. I keep a small lamp on our breakfast bar on most of the time. It's a simple touch lamp, so I do turn it off before bed since it's easy to turn on. It stays on if we're going to be out - better than walking into a dark apartment and a lot safer.

To LizinCO-

Sure a single 15 watt bulb won't kill the planet, but if everyone on AT decided to do the same thing you can't ignore it.

Sure it may be better for the environment to have a single 15 watt bulb on rather than leaving all your lights on, but in no way is it good to leave lights on.

The bottom line: CFL's are not good for the environment... ever.

Turn off your lights if your not using them. A light will not stop a thief from stealing your stuff. Get real.

megnez -- Thiefs are less likely to break in if someone is at home or break in with lights on since people could stop by - they don't tend to be confrontational if you've read any statistics at all or even listen to the news.

I'm sure my small light takes up less energy than the light in my hallway that is on 24/7 anyways. So why not scream at apartment complexes and down them for killing the environment instead of giving people here a hard time about a small freaking light?

To the light-leaver-onners: Stop wasting energy and wire a motion sensor to your chosen light sources if security is a concern - nothing will stop a potential burgler faster than a light suddenly popping on! Plus, it would turn on when you walked in the door - giving you that welcoming glow you're looking for at the end of the day without having to fumble in the dark for a switch.

tmoore - I am fairly sure I'll pay more for that motion sensor than I do for light bulbs for the tiny lamp I leave on (and I leave it on on dim). I haven't replaced the bulb in over two years!

ChrisGal, my concern was more for the planet than your pocketbook:)

So when the motion sensor stops working (or goes off randomly when dust hits it - as does my aunt's) and I trash it...that didn't hurt the environment too?

So, your argument is that all motion detectors are unreliable garbage? Huh. I've never heard of that being a huge problem, and it's certainly not one that I have experienced. Wait a minute - are you arguing just for the sake of arguing, or are you on the defensive because deep down you feel just a teensy bit guilty for leaving your freakin' light on "almost all the time"? Simmer down, honey. Nobody's calling the Green Police.

Actually neither - I'm defending my right as a woman to feel safe.

If you read any of my posts before jumping down my throat, you'd see I said I left it on when I'm not at home. I am disabled and work from home...so think about how often I'm probably not at home?

Your gender is irrelevant here, as is your disability. You told us in an earlier post that you leave a light on "most of the time". I was responding to that post (and others') when I suggested that you (and others) might use a motion sensor in order to minimize the energy wasted by your comfort/security lighting. I am sorry that you read that as an attack.

tmoore - I reread my posts. It's on dim when I find it too dark in my apartment to comfortably see or when I'm gone. Maybe you misunderstood me.