In a recent blog post, we stressed the importance of having timed lighting in your house when you’re on vacation so that your home looks lit at exactly the right times. But, aside from when you aren’t home for an extended period of time, do you know the best protocol to follow in regards to leaving your lights on? If not, we’ve got you covered – below are some basic guidelines to follow.

• Keep lights off during the day (especially outdoor lighting). Having them on when the sun is up could be suspicious – most would assume that the lights would be off if someone was around.
• Try not to leave your lights on all night – you’ll use a ton of energy and electricity! However, if you do have overnight lights that you’d like to keep running, have them on a setting where they’ll start to dim as time goes on.
• Follow a routine schedule for when your lights are on or off. For example, if you turn your outdoor lights off every night at midnight, keep it that way – a light on past that time could signal that no one is home if someone is paying close enough attention.
• Have your lights set to turn on as soon as it gets dark each day. Should you get stuck at work late one night, for example, your home may become more vulnerable if it looks empty, even if just for an hour.

Overall, the most important thing when it comes to your home’s lighting is to be smart and strategic – if you change patterns regularly or light your home in a way that makes it stand out from everyone else (for example, not having any lights on at night), anyone who is watching close enough will catch on.

Here at TFC Electric Inc., we understand what a huge role lighting plays in keeping your home safe – especially outdoor lighting. Landscape and other outdoor lighting is a specialty of ours, so if you’re looking for ways to improve your Suffolk County home, start with that!

To learn more about our residential electrical services or to make an appointment with an electrician about outdoor lighting, give us a call at (631) 589-2800!