Keep your home secure with a light switch timer

Feeling secure in your own home is a precious thing, and a light switch timer is a great way to do so, especially when you're away.

Crime is something that many of us worry about, even if we haven't experienced it directly.

• According to Statistics Canada, there were more than 156,000 breaking and entering crimes in Canada in 2013, meaning that about 4.5 people per 1,000 in the population experienced a break-in.
• Not all breaking and entering incidents occurred in homes, but the fact remains that offices, homes and all other buildings can be made more secure with the addition of a simple light switch timer.

These entry-level light switch timers are perfect for lamps around the home.

• Use them when you are out of the house, especially if you need to go away for an extended period of time.
• Plug-in timers are usually the most cost-effective switches for homeowners to buy.
• Most of them have a dial on the front that represents a 24-hour period.
• Simply slide the controls to mark the time when you would like the light to come on, and the corresponding time when you would like it to turn off again.

This allows you to create the sense that somebody is home, even when that isn't the case.

Plug-in timers are usually enough to put off an opportunist taking a casual glance at your property.

Programmable switch timers plug into the main electricity supply and, unlike their counterparts, offer a great deal of flexibility when it comes to creating a secure home.

• Many of these types of devices will have a digital display that allows you to set the precise on-and-off times in a very accurate way.
• In addition, it is usually possible to set multiple on-and-off states. This creates a much more convincing illusion that someone is home.
• Some programmable light switch timers allow you to have different timings over the course of a week, so you can create different settings for the weekends.

Turning your lamps on and off is one thing, but try using your timers to run other devices in the home to create the illusion that someone is in.

• A good idea is to turn a light on at the same time as a radio.
• The combination of light and sound makes it seem that your home is occupied.
• Try using more than one light switch timer in different locations of the home. If you set them to non-synchronous times, it becomes even harder for a potential burglar to assess whether someone is home or not.