Dad creates a cruel flowchart to keep the family from turning up the thermostat
A dad has left people ‘crying’ after sharing the cheeky power diagram he created to stop his family turning up the heating.
Amid the cost of living crisis, we are all looking for ways to keep energy bills low.
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And now that the temperature outside is getting even colder, it’s even more tempting to turn up the thermostat.
But one dad is doing his best to encourage his family to try other ways to keep warm before resorting to turning up the heating.
In the circuit diagram, which was attached to the front of the thermostat, he had written: ‘Before you turn on the heating, you must…’
He had then listed the options on the left and written in bullet points: “Keep socks on, long sleeve shirt, underwear/pants, see your breath”.
Read more Heating Stories
If they had answered yes, yes, yes, no, he would have pointed them to a note stating that “no heat was required.”
However, if they answered no, no, no, yes or “some other combination”, he angrily told them to “get dressed”.
The thermostat was shown to be set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 21 degrees Celsius.
One person went to TikTok to share the viral photo, writing above it: “The father has spoken!”
And the comments section was almost immediately filled with people joining in, as some admitted they would burst into tears if they came across a comment like that about the heating controls.
“I would cry. I’m always cold!” one admitted.
“Lol I wouldn’t listen to anyone let alone my husband,” another insisted.
“If my children or I are cold, the heating comes on.”
“I know someone who has a baby and doesn’t turn on the heat… the baby already had pneumonia and he’s not even three months old yet,” said a third.
“We grew up with a parent like that,” another sighed.
“When you’re alone, you do the exact opposite!”
“I have a family of seven and never have this problem,” wrote another.
4 ways to keep your energy bill low
Laura Court-Jones, small business editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down one degree
You probably won’t even notice this small temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bill. By turning the thermostat down a step, you can quickly start saving. This one small action only takes a few seconds and could potentially reduce your heating costs by €171.70.
2. Turn off appliances and lights
It sounds simple, but completely turning off appliances and lights that aren’t in use can lower your energy bills, especially in winter. By switching off lights and appliances when they are not in use, you can save up to €20 per year on your energy bill
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control of your energy consumption, especially as they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity are being used.
4. Consider changing energy supplier
No matter how satisfied you are with your current energy supplier, they may not give you the best deals, especially if you have let a fixed rate contract expire without taking out a new contract. If you haven’t looked at alternative rates lately, you might not know that there are better options out there.
“Nobody turns on the heating, most people never complain about the cold, which is set at 15 degrees as standard.
“We turn it on for about an hour a day.”
To which someone else wrote: “Omg. I would literally freeze!
“My brother is like this, now he has fluid because he doesn’t turn on the heating!”
Others, however, said the father was perfectly within his rights to post the note.
“70 is 21.1°C. So that’s warm enough. You don’t need to go any higher,” someone said.
“Why in every household is it only the father who has this feeling?” another wondered.
A third said this was “absolutely correct”, adding: “Why do people turn up the heating before putting on clothes?”
