Who left the lights on?
We just bought our very first house! Hooray! With all of the joy that goes along with that statement, there are also many concerns. Atop the list of concerns are, of course, all of the new bills that go along with owning a home. We’re still in the process of getting things organized and prioritized, electing for only the necessities. Part of better managing our finances and preparing for successful home ownership is also ensuring that we remember to be energy conscious. With little ones, that basically boils down to the repetitive question of “Did you turn the light off?”
Did you know that 90% of Americans admit to having someone in their household that forgets to turn off the lights?
Let’s face it, kids can be forgetful. Heck, even we can forget to flip that switch off from time to time. Wouldn’t it be nice if your lights could turn themselves off when doing so slips our minds? No longer having to worry about whether or not you turned the lights off would be rather nice, wouldn’t it? Better yet, what if your lights could turn themselves on when you walk into the room? Does any of this sound enticing yet? Just wait because it gets better! What would you think if your lights could do all of this AND still have a dimming option? Now, what if I told you that all of this is true? And not only is it true but it is readily available to everyone and super easy to install on your own!
Since purchasing our home, we’ve gotten all too familiar with our local hardware store and these products had caught my eye more than once. Luckily, I recently had the opportunity to try them out and share them with you!
Lutron has been widely known for its lighting products and history of pushing the limits within since the 1950s. Their newest product line of Occupancy/Vacancy light sensors is, truly, a genius idea. Prior to learning of Lutron, I had no knowledge of this idea or product availability. Surely, I knew that dimmers were an option but I’ve only ever known any type of motion sensing light to be outdoor flood lights. The thought to bring them inside, especially within a home with children, is brilliant!
Over the past few days, we have been updating and replacing every switch within our newly bought, older home. Of course, I was psyched to try out our brand new Lutron lights. With both, the Lutron Maestro Occupancy/Vacancy Sensing Switchand the Lutron Maestro Occupancy/Vacancy Sensing C·L Dimmer made available to us, we opted to try out the latter, first. Our old dining room light switch did have a dimmer already on it so that was where our swap started. Being that our dining room is perfectly positioned between our living room and kitchen, this is one of the lights that get left on most frequently. Oftentimes, we are just passing through from one room to the next, turning it on as we walk in and forgetting to flip it off as we walk out. Obviously, this room was screaming for an occupancy sensor and now, thanks to Lutron, it finally gets one!
Normally, I wouldn’t attempt replacing anything electrical without the help of a professional but, since my guy is quite handy, I was confident that we could manage it. To my surprise, it was actually much easier than you would think. Check out our installation process here:
- If you’re not working in good daylight, get yourself a hands-free, battery operated source of lighting.
- Set yourself up with the necessary tools: included mounting hardware, wire cutters, electrical tape, and a screwdriver.
- Cut the power to the switch (from the breaker) you plan to replace. Ensure that there is no electricity.
- Remove the previous switch plate and unscrew the switch from the wall.
- Pay attention to how each of the wires is connected to the switch. The copper wire is usually your ground wire.
- Disconnect all of the wires.
- Connect the new Lutron sensor by matching up the correct wires. Cap off any unneeded wires (typical for 3-way installations).
- Push the wires back into the wall box and mount the sensor with the included screws.
- Turn the power back on at the breaker.
- Enjoy your brand new Lutron Maestro Occupancy/Vacancy Sensing light switch!
If you’d like to give the Lutron Maestro Occupancy/Vacancy Sensing Switches a try in your own home, they are currently offering a special discount (through October 31st) for our readers. Simply enter the code “WhoLeftTheLightsOn” to receive 25% off of all Maestro Occupancy/Vacancy Sensor Dimmers and Switches on LutronStore.com in addition to receiving one free Claro single-gang wallplate per each qualifying item!
“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Lutron. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”
21 Responses
I absolutely NEED these in my house!! How handy!
My husband always leaves the lights on and it is infuriating. I really need these!
I have their switches in my house and love them.
That would be handy! I’m usually the guilty one for leaving the lights on!
some really good tips,,I go thru turning lights off all the time
Wow – that would be wonderful. It’s like the light of day in our house at night, I am constantly going from room to room shutting lights off.
These Lutron light switches sound great, I have a problem with lights at my house and I hate to go into a darken room, would be great to have light sensors that come on when you enter and go off when no one is in the room, My hubby does forget to turn the lights off and I think these would be great.
Its the men that seems to have to have more than one light on in the same room. I turn them off. This would be nice to have and a discount when you buy them is a good thing too
I have occasionally caught myself and my kids leaving the lights on. Otherwise, we are all pretty good about turning lights off.
Lutron lights sound very cost efficient! Love it.
I’d love a motion sensor lighting system at home because my oldest son always leaves lights on throughout my house when he’s over visiting.
This is the first time I have heard about Lutron, thanks!
My partner installs Lutron products. They’re high-end, but worth every cent.
Who left the lights on? How many times have I said that! Never heard of Luftron Lights..until now! I think I’ll put this one on my honey do loist! Thanks!
This is a great idea – I could really use this!
While we try to be very conscientious about turning the lights off (for both economicial and environmental/ecological reasons – we’re not always as good about it as we mean to be…
We really could use the Lutron Light solution – not only for our apartment – but because we own a 3-flat and we pay for the electricity for the WHOLE building – so we have to rely on our tenant to be thoughtful and responsible too.
And then there are all the “public areas” (front poarch, halls, stairwells, basement rooms and storage, laundry room – which often are left turned on because no one notices!
A system like this could be VERY cost-effective for us – and we’d all feel better about not wasting so much energy!
What happens if you have a pet? Do they activate the motion detectors?
Neat product!
OMGoodness…I cannot stand when people leave lights on in rooms that they are not in. I really enjoyed the infographic!
I am guilty ~ I admit it and I am so sorry. It’s me, I leave the lights on sometimes. I don’t mean to it just happens LOL. But it’s not funny when the bill comes and this would be great to have.
I love this………………besides switching to all led lights this would be helpful on saving on the electric bills.