My electricity bill seems large for one person, but it has a lot to do with something I've kept up from Benin days: security lights outside on all night. The idea of the one above the gate was to help with that area, especially when friends' cars are parked outside, and often ends up the "streetlamp" for our area when the lamp doesn't light down the corner.
It earned its keep last Saturday when apparently a thief fleeing from further up the road trying to keep to dark spots couldn't find one near my place and jumped the wall opposite instead to hide - unfortunately for him at the time the shopowner diagonal to me was turning after locking up and saw him do it. There was a hue and cry, a bang on the gate for my guard Philippe to come with his torch and machete, and eventually a trapped thief was handed over to the gendarmes that came when called. Returning home an evening later in the week I saw gendarmes posted both sides of local major roads and my guard thinks it's because of our scare. Philippe says all the local guards had already expressed gratitude for my light - and now are even more congratulatory, attibuting the theif's capture to my security arrangements!
