How Much Does It Cost to Leave a Porch Light on All Night

Leave your porch light on all night (it costs about 11 cents a month for a 5W compact fluorescent bulb).

Should you leave your porch light on at night?

When you’re home at night This is a good time to leave the porch light on. It alerts burglars to your presence, particularly if indoor lights are on too. The porch light also acts as a spotlight on the front door. You can easily see who’s approaching through either a window or peephole.

Does leaving a light on use a lot of electricity?

FALSE! Fluorescent lights do take a small surge of power when turned on, but this is significantly smaller than the amount saved by turning them off. It used to be that starting them shortened their life, but again this is not significant. It’s always better to turn off modern lights if leaving for more than a minute.