I noticed there were a couple of light bulbs that needed changing, so went to the cupboard. I'd always known that I had a few light bulbs in reserve, but having not bought any for a few months, I was unsure how many I had. Out of curiosity, I counted them. 95 bulbs resided in the end cupboard. I considered the number, and the sight before me, concluding that I have quite a few 'in stock'.
I have never actually discussed light bulb contingency planning with anyone, so I have no idea on what level of back-up is normal. How many light bulbs the average household keeps in reserve is a figure not readily available in the modern world, despite the amazing levels of information and communication that are prevalent. By any measure, I thought that 95 might be very slightly excessive. With this in mind, I set about completing an assessment of the actual requirement - ie. the number of bulbs in place. I hoped then to determine whether the provision was of relevance to the scale of lighting in the house.
The number of bulbs, after my count up, was surprisingly high, driven to some degree by three ceiling lights whose design was based on a collection of five small candle bulbs, to create a chandelier. Still, 80 was horrendously high and surprising. Yes, there were a few under-unit lights in the kitchen, and some fittings were clusters of a few separate bulbs, but there was a need for 80 in all. (NB: I have completely ignored the fitting in one bedroom, where there is a weird Next light that has ten tiny 10w bulbs, as this would completely distort figures.) Of the 80, there were 18 either not fitted or blown, although without detriment to my ability to wander the house on 1st December at 4pm GMT - ie. when it's pitch black. Of the 18, three are not actually needed at all, in my opinion, so I will be using fifteen of the 95 bulbs in stock, to restore the natural order of things.
In summary, I will, after having attended to the above, be left with a stock of 80 light bulbs, as back-up for fittings that require 80 light bulbs (albeit that three are currently not in use, and as a complete aside, I need to get hold of 10 x 10w small bulbs for the non-working Next fitting upstairs - I do not carry stock of those!). So, it's a 1:1 ratio.
What provision have you made in your home?
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