Anyone have kids or roommates who are afraid of the dark, so they leave a light or t.v. on at all times? Has it effected your energy bill? What are some good alternatives that will make them feel safer while saving money?
Maybe they could be given a flashlight for when they feel scared. Maybe leave the door open or even play a little music like on a clock radio or give them a mp3 player.
When my kids were little we always had those little plug in night lights for them. Now they make some that are LED that would probably use a lot less energy. An alarm clock with a bright display that runs on batteries would be another option to consider as well. I would avoid leaving a TV on all night as that is probably using up a lot more energy than anything else would.
How about battery-operated candles instead? I have some that look like this: They last a really long time, there's no fire hazard linked to them, and you don't suck up all the electricity energy.
Battery operated candles are a great idea, I had never thought of that before. They weren't popular back when I was afraid of the dark and my mom never trusted me with candles so I ended up suffering! I'd think that a battery operated candle would be a good option price wise though. You could always get a bunch of those neon lights that you plug in, I have them in multiple rooms and I love them. I figure they're really cheap, as well. Can help you too rest too since they're nice and dim.
My roommate isn't afraid of the dark, but uses a nightlight so she can see when going to the bathroom. It really hasn't affected out electricity bill much.
Battery-operated candles are genius!! My kids are not afraid of the dark but I am afraid of having candles lit when they are around in case of accidents! These are a brilliant comprimise.
Walmart has LED night lights that last 100,000 hours without needing a new light bulb and cost pennies to operate. They have a sensor that turns them off automatically when the sun comes up. And they are cool to the touch. Plus they come in a lot of fashion colors. I have the purple one and my daughter has the pink one. I keep my LED night light plugged in in the small hallway so I can find my way to the bathroom at night without turning on lights. Some people have a few of these to light their path through their house at night so they don't have to turn on extra lights to get around the house at night. Log In
Well I used to be one of those who couldn't sleep without lights on when I was still a kid but now, I can never sleep without complete darkness! Leaving the telly on throughout the night would definitely put a toll on your electrical bills not to mention that the sound and bright lights would also prevent anyone from having a restful night of sleep. Back when I was a kid, I pestered my parents to get me one of those plug-in night lights that I could have on throughout the night and they usually run on energy-saving light bulbs. I guess you could get the LED ones nowadays quite cheaply from most places selling electrical products. That should solve your problem! The one recommended by ACSAPA seems good!
Longlife, low energy options are the best bet. I agree with ACSAPA's idea. Those LED bulbs work like a charm, consume very little power and last like forever. Leaving them on all night will not adversely affect your energy bill.