The rechargeable lights set to save me big on my electricity bill
Since I was a child, I've been notorious for leaving lights on wherever I go. Night (mostly) or day (too often) I'll walk into a room, turn the light on, walk out and forget to turn it off. Most would have assumed as I ventured into adulthood and started paying my own electricity bills this would quickly change. It hasn't.
While an easy solution would be to (in my mum's voice) "Just turn the bloody lights off!", I've discovered a fix that goes one better – rechargeable sensor lights that are made for forgetful, unintentional electricity wasters like me.
I purchased four from Amazon – the home of problem-solving gadgets, I've come to learn – not expecting great things because how good can rechargeable lights really be? They arrived quickly (thank you to my Amazon Prime membership) and came with instructions I could understand, which made the set-up a quick five minutes.
In the pack:
Two lights (obviously)
Magnetic strips, with sticky sides (handy)
A USB charging cord (essential)
Were they hard to set up?
No. The hardest part is deciding where you want to put them. Once you open them you'll quickly find so many places to stick them.
I chose to stick three under the cupboards in my kitchen – the place I spend most of my time – to give extra light over the sink. The fourth sits pretty in my wardrobe, lighting up as I slide the doors open. Note: This is super handy when getting ready in the dark.
After a few quick (likely inaccurate) measurements, I removed the plastic from the magnetic strips, stuck them in place under the cupboard (and inside my wardrobe), peeled the plastic off the other side of the magnets, slapped the lights on top and I was done.
The only other thing to do is choose your light colour. The options are warm white or cool white, I went with warm white. There's also an option to leave the lights on permanently. I'm trying to be better so I chose the sensor – more on that in a bit.
How long does the charge last?
While they arrived ready to go, after a day I decided to charge them fully. It took about 30 minutes – for the small button light to go from red to green – and they lasted two weeks on that one charge. Impressive, no?
I like to charge them during the day (when I remember) for about 10 minutes at least once a week so they never really lose their power.
You can tell when the lights are ready for more fuel because they start to dim, but the sensor doesn't falter, even when it could do with a recharge.
To charge it up simply separate the light from the magnet and plug it in. So simple.
How good are the sensors?
I'm in and around my kitchen a lot (cooking, eating, drinking, eating, snacking…) and the sensors have about a one-metre range, picking up my approach accurately without leaving me in the dark.
They're great for late-night snacks and a middle-of-the-night glass of water as they flick on as you approach to very helpfully light the way.
They don't negate the need for lights, but they certainly reduce the need to turn lights on for trips into the space. Buy enough and you'll find you're reaching for the light switch a whole lot less.
But that's not all…
While they're amazing for those areas that need some extra light, they're sleek and clever enough to add some mood lighting to areas around the home that could do with added brightness. Perhaps a night light for the kids (or big kids) as they stumble to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Or maybe you want some strip lighting along your skirting boards that light up as you walk past? These are ideal. They'll save getting an electrician in to run the cables and can be moved around the place as your tastes and needs change.
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