'Cheapskate' Dad Finds Attic Lightbulb Has Been on Since House Was Built

A homeowner was shocked to discover that the light in his attic had been turned on in his home for two years without anyone in the household realizing it.

A self-confessed "cheapskate," Pete Wenzler from Dayton, Ohio was stunned when strong winds blew up the access cover on his unfinished attic and revealed the unusual find.

"Had this house built two years ago," said Wenzler in the now-viral Reddit post. "The non-LED lightbulb has been on the whole time."

In a photo that Wenzler included with the post, a single, bare lightbulb can be seen glowing in the previously unused part of the house. Wenzler joked that he is usually "the grumpy old dad that yells at my family for leaving any lights on," and added that "this has probably cost me a few bucks over the years."

The post has garnered over 37,000 upvotes and thousands of comments from other Redditors who were fascinated by the light still working after two years—and the fact that Wenzel hadn't been up there that whole time.

"The lightbulb is controlled by the one switch that no one ever knows what it's for," joked one commenter. While another said: "How else are the raccoons going to see at night?" Others cautioned that it could be the work of "ghosts and demons" living in the attic.

"It was the first time I have ever seen up there. I'm guessing the last contractor working in the attic left it on," Wenzler told Newsweek. "When I first saw the light in the attic I was frustrated because it had been left on for years and I am mad at myself for not taking the time to look up there."

How much energy a light bulb uses depends on a series of factors, including the wattage of the individual bulb. But while most bulbs only cost a few cents to run, leaving them on for hours or days at a time can soon add up.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) as of January 2023, the average residential price in the U.S. was forecast to hit 15.39 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2023. Under these prices, leaving a 60-watt light bulb on for 24 hours would cost around 20 cents.

There are plenty of ways to cut your electricity costs, too. Including utilizing smart thermostats and plugs or investing in better insulation for your home.

"I'm a stickler for making my wife and kids turn off all lights when they are not in that room. My second thought was how am I going to get up there to turn it off? And my third thought was I wonder how much cheaper my energy bill will be after I turn this thing off because I'm a cheapskate," said Wenzler.

After making the discovery Wenzler said he posted it to the popular subreddit r/mildlyinfuriating because it was just that—mildly infuriating.

"I had no clue it would blow up," said the homeowner. "I posted it and went to bed a little later to wake up to a ton of emails and notifications of comments and stuff. I told my wife and she didn't care, though likely because she doesn't understand Reddit," he joked.