Got outdoor security lights at your house? If they're on all night, they could be costing as much as $100 a year, not counting the cost of bulbs -- another $10 or $15 annually. Today, new security gadgets increase the "scare-the-crooks ratio," while lowering the ?cost-to-homeowners ratio." For example, electronic barking-dog alarms now come in many shapes and sizes -- from hard-wired, motion-sensor controlled Doberman guard dogs, to yappy little battery-controlled barkers that let you know an intruder is there. The nice part is they're inexpensive and portable, making them great for travel. Other low-operating cost alternatives are small-battery-operated wedge alarms that sound 110 decibels when a door opens against it. Also, the cost of monitor systems has come way down. Now you can see crooks and scare them away -- inexpensively. That is until the robbers catch up with their own new technology. Then we'll have electric barking dogs chasing electronic robot prowlers. And that's the On The House tip for today.