I Forget To Turn Off The Lights When I Am Not Home, Sometimes

This may not be something to some people but a big deal to others. When you forget to turn off your lights while staying with your parents, did they nag you about remembering to do so next time? 

Now that I own my own place, I occasionally slip into the habit of my younger self where I will leave home and not do the adult thing of turning off the lights before heading out. 

Perhaps I am complacent with the better type of lights we install at home, and I don’t think the bulbs will overheat, trip electrics, or start a fire, unlike in the olden days. 

But it is true that before you go on a holiday or trip where you leave your home unattended for a few days it will be better to turn off all electronics to prevent a wire trip. That will cost you a lot more to get a repairman. Your electricity bills will also go up. 

Turning off the lights may be a laughable task, but it is also being conscious of our energy consumption as our Earth continues to be grappling with climate change. As individuals, doing our part to reduce energy consumption is not only a logical thing to do but also a “woke” thing to be a part of. 

However, the funny thing is that I do not turn off the hotel room lights when I am travelling, and that’s because I want my room to appear to be occupied to prevent theft. Could this be an overthinking attempt that may not help with preventing theft after all? 

But I am sure many people are also doing the same thing with their hotel rooms and there is difficulty in going eco-friendly when it comes to turning off those lights. 

Environmental websites do state that if you turn off your lights when they are not needed, even for a short period, you will be saving electricity. That is largely because there is no additional energy needed to initiate the lighting process. 

This article is part of TSS Confessions, a weekly column where we delve into personal finance topics that are unscripted and genuine real accounts from people.