Light bulb

[freak_unique]

Hey this may sound a silly question, but when a light bulb socket doesnt have a bulb in, but the switch is left on does it cost you in electricity? cheers

[clever trev]

no.

[mibn2cweus]

Without a bulb or something else to complete the circuit the empty socket is essentially an open switch. A broken or missing bulb do not provide a path through which electrical current can flow.

[freak_unique]

Cheers for your answers guys :)

[vehelpfulguy]

In fact because you need a full circuit for electricity to flow the electric companies con us all.

Electricy comes out from the Electricity company, through the bulb, then back to the electricity company.

They then just send the same electricity out again.

They charge us a fortune every month for just sending us the same electricity over and over again.

[priceyclause]

"In fact because you need a full circuit for electricity to flow the electric companies con us all.

Electricy comes out from the Electricity company, through the bulb, then back to the electricity company.

They then just send the same electricity out again.

They charge us a fortune every month for just sending us the same electricity over and over again. "

I really hope thats a joke. - I can never tell when people are joking.

[Toureman]

Not a joke it's true, vehelpfulguy always gives good answers on here.

[Panic Button]

Not quite true.
They reverse the direction 50 times a second

[brachiopod]

Not quite true (II).

The electricity does not return to the Electricity Company but is earthed at your nearest local sub-station. (Those little brick shed-things, or banks of grey equpment within brick-walled enclosures)

If you put out a few spare bowls and empty saucepans around the sub-station, you may be able to catch some of this electricity before it flows away to earth.

[rojash]

If it were true, then they would hardly need to keep generating it would they?

[Mortartube]

Rojash, they are not generators. They are pumps to keep the whole thing flowing, and I bet they run on electricity.

[landie]

Try building a dam to stop the flow away from your property, you can then re-use the supply from your own e-lake-tricity reservoir.

[tomd]

As someone who works in electric distribution, I can assure you that vehelpfulguy's answer regarding recycling electricity is totally wrong, although I'm not sure whether it's misinterpretation or sarcasm.

[SteveSxx]

Most people know that electricity flows uphill better than downhill - otherwise how does it get up tall skyscrapers ?
So to collect it - you need a large plastic bag or balloon - not a lake - you plonker.......

[Panic Button]

Stelios is about to shake up the market.

He is launching easyelectric, using easyjet flights to fly in cheap foreign electricity.

[rojash]

Have a look at these Socket covers from Mothercare.

http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B000JF5SU I/sr=1-2/qid=1170623519/ref=sr_1_2/203-4023182 -0802302?ie=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42872041&m cb=core

They stop electricity from leaking into onto the floor, which would be dangerous for kiddywinks crawling about.

[buildersmate]

At least tomd speaks some sense.

[heathfield]

It used to be, in the old GPO phone boxes, you could get a free call by tapping the phone cradle to dial the number.

If you were caught, you were charged with 'stealing electricity' from the GPO. For some reason, Vehelpful's answer was never considered to be an acceptable defense!

Most unfair!

[Panic Button]

When I was a kid we used to go in phone boxes and dial ERB (engineers ring back) which used to be a test for the engineers. Once you heard the ringing tone you put the phone down and it started ringing.
Then retreat to a safe distance and watch people wondering whether to answer.

Kept us amused for ...... minutes.

[oakleyfamily]

Panic Button....i did that too (i am 46 and i did it as a teen) i always wondered why it used to say "high loop resistance"
(was it 141 then the actual number or has demetia set in?