Create an Anti-Burglary Presence Simulation (Lights + Shutters)
Make it look like the house is occupied during your holidays. Much more effective than an alarm ringing in the void.
Recommended Materials
- Home automation box
- Connected lights and shutters
Steps to follow
Step 1
The strategy: Burglars spot empty houses (shutters closed all day, no light in the evening). An alarm rings once the break-in is done. Presence simulation prevents the break-in from happening by making it look like you are there.
Step 2
The ingredients: You need connected bulbs (Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom) and ideally connected motorized shutters. A connected speaker is a plus.
Step 3
The 'Vacation' scenario: Program your home automation box to replay a typical day. 7:30 am: Opening shutters + Kitchen Light (30 min). 7:00 pm: Living Room Light. 8:30 pm: Closing shutters. 10:30 pm: Bedroom Light (15 min) then Total extinction.
Step 4
Randomness (The secret): Do not make a fixed schedule (always 7:00 pm sharp). Lookouts spot mechanical timers. Use the 'Random' function of your application to shift times by +/- 15 to 30 minutes each day. It is much more realistic.
Step 5
Sound: If you have a connected speaker (Google/Alexa), add it to the scenario. Have it play music or talk radio (news...) for 1h in the morning and 2h in the evening. A noisy house is an inhabited house. It is very dissuasive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Electricity consumption ?
With LED bulbs (8 Watts), leaving the light on 4h per evening for 15 days of vacation will cost you about 0.50€. It is the cheapest insurance in the world. Do not hesitate to invest in a few connected sockets. Moreover, it will give you peace of mind during your leave.
Precautions
- Do not leave lights on all night (suspicious).
- Notify a trusted neighbor anyway.
