‘Lord of the thermostat’ roommate micromanages man's heating usage in their poorly-insulated apartment, so the man purchases an electric heater while roomie unknowingly fronts the bill

Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."

Oct 19, 2024 7:00 AM EDT

The cold weather is coming in quickly with a vengeance. We had a rough last couple of months with the daily temperature rising well above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of worrying about our electric bills, we're going to start worrying about our gas bills. When you have roommates, divvying up the utility bill and trying your best to live comfortably without running up a grand sum per month is pretty difficult. Your understanding of living conservatively might not be the same understanding your roommates have, but open and honest communication should fix that, right?

If the apartment you're sharing dips well below the legal temperature of 60 degrees, then the heat must be turned on. If it dips below that, it's illegal and can be a cause for concern when it gets even colder outside—the pipes can freeze and then, burst. The man who posted this story is dealing with a micromanaging roommate in an apartment with uneven insulation. The roommate gets proper heat flow while the man gets little to none. The man also has pets, which need to be kept warm. Despite all of this, the roommate will turn off the thermostat whenever they get the chance and berate the man when he decides to turn the heat on. Instead of playing this back-and-forth game, the man had a better plan.