Neighbor’s Night Lights, Did you know that it can cost up to an extra $100 a month in electricity just from leaving your lights on all night? Yes, keeping the lights on all night can cause an even bigger dent in your electric bill than you think.
But when you live in an apartment complex or condo, there are many other things that you cannot control. One of these things is your neighbor’s actions and habits. For instance, if a neighbor leaves their lights on all night, it can be very annoying and disruptive.
It’s enough of a problem that even if they are not doing it on purpose, they still have a negative impact on you and your home. It’s annoying and frustrating and easy to deal with until it becomes part of your everyday life.
So, what do you do if you have hot-natured neighbors?
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Best Ways to Deal with Neighbors Leaving Lights on All Night
Well, everyone can get tired of this, so here are some strategies for dealing with neighbors leaving lights on all night that won’t drive you crazy but also won’t let them get away with affecting your quality of life!
First, Make Sure You’re Speaking with the Right Person
It might sound obvious, but before you get mad at your neighbors for leaving the lights on, be wise and make sure you’re complaining to the right person. There’s a good chance that the person leaving the lights on all night isn’t the person you think it is.
In another case, if you’re living in a student building, there’s a good chance that the person leaving the lights on is a student who thinks it’s normal to leave the lights on all night.
If you’re not sure who to talk to, try to get the apartment number from whoever is leaving the lights on. You can then knock on the door, enter the apartment number and talk to the person who lives there.
If you don’t know who is leaving the lights on, you can always talk to a building manager (if there’s one) and let them know the situation.
Install a Dimmer Switch
Sometimes it’s not the neighbor; it’s you. Installing a dimmer switch on the lights that are being left on all night is one of the most effective ways to deal with neighbors leaving lights on. Dimmer switches are very common and easy to find.
There are even apps that let you control the lights in your home remotely using your smartphone. Dimmer switches are also really easy to install and don’t cost very much.
So even if you aren’t an expert electrician, you can still fix this problem. Dimmer switches allow you to control the brightness of light just by rotating the switch. You can make the light as bright or as dim as you want—and leave it that way all night long.
Ask Your Landlord to Install Motion-Detecting Lights
If you have a particularly annoying neighbor who just can’t keep their lights off, you can always ask your landlord to install motion-detecting lights. These lights turn on automatically when they detect motion in a certain area.
These lights are commonly found in parking lots and outside of businesses. They’re usually big lights that are very bright, perfect for keeping your parking lot well-lit.
You may be able to request that your landlord puts these lights in your parking lot and/or common areas. If that doesn’t work, you can always try asking them to install lights on the walkways leading up to your door.
Use a Smart Plug and Timer
If you’re sick of seeing your neighbors leave their lights on, you can always install a simple timer that turns the lights off automatically at a certain time. Consider using a simple timer or an electric plug with a timer built-in.
Typically, these timers are easy to install and can be used for almost any light you have in your home. You can set your timers to turn the lights off at a specific time every night. That way, you don’t even have to think about turning the lights off. And if you have roommates, you can set up the timers to turn the lights on at a specific time in the morning.
Some are designed such that you can plug the lights into the timer and set the timer to turn the lights off at a certain time every night. That way, the neighbors can’t change the timer settings.
Install Blackout Curtains and Window Film
Install blackout curtains and window film to take things a step further to combat neighbors leaving lights on. Blackout curtains are meant to block all light.
The thicker material blocks out all light and makes a heavier, soundproof curtain. These curtains might be pricey, especially if you want light-blocking ones.
Window film is cheaper than blackout curtains but less effective. It blocks light on windows with a thin, sticky substance. That implies it’s less effective than blackout curtains but cheaper and can work.
Talk to Your Neighbors about Mutual Respect, Timings, and Etiquette
If all else fails, you can always try to talk to your neighbors about the situation. You can be the nice guy and try to come to an agreement about mutual respect for each other and the time when lights should be turned off.
There are lots of ways to do this. For instance, you can do it in person, over the phone, or even through email. If you do this, though, make sure you’re polite and don’t accuse them of being inconsiderate.
Instead, come to the conversation with solutions and ways that they can help you and ways that you can help them. In the end, communication is always the best way to solve problems.
You can avoid a lot of issues and frustrations if you just talk to your neighbors. You might be surprised that your neighbor is not even aware of the trouble they’re causing you.