I live with a roommate and we split utilities. I work from home so I’m in the house all day, while my roommate does not work from home.
During the early part of the day, I keep the heat on 70 because I get cold and have Raynaud’s in my fingers. My roommate prefers it at 66 and thinks 70 is unnecessary and too expensive, even though they aren’t home most of the day.
I’m willing to turn it down while they are at home, but they want it at 66 all the time. AITA? – Coownedchaos
NAH. We live in 2026, you can actually do the math and figure out how much extra you are costing roommie and just compensate to be fair.
True, but why does roomie get to set the baseline? 70 is super reasonable.
I’ll completely disagree that 70 is reasonable, it would cost sooooo much money here in Massachusetts to keep a house or even apartment that hot in the winter.
NTA. 66 isn’t even “room temperature.” Your roommate is being absurd.
I mean, you’re home and using more utilities, so a compromise might be paying a little more than your roommate, who uses less. So I’ll say NAH.
NAH.
She’s right in that heating the house 4 extra degrees for 40-45 hours a week is costing her more money. Split the utility bill 60/40 or 65/35.
Slight YTA… you split the bills 50/50 when you use it 50/50. OP knows enough to pay more for their personal use.
You’re not wrong, but this probably needs a clearer agreement. If heat is higher because you WFH and have a condition, maybe adjusting the split slightly or setting time-based temps could ease tension
>My roommate prefers it at 66 and thinks 70 is unnecessary **and too expensive**
Have you done anything to address this? *You* are the one home during the day, using utilities, and turning the thermostat up, which is costing *them*.
You’re well within your rights to have the temperature at whatever is comfortable for you when you’re the only one home – as long as you’re not making your roommate pay for it.
You want to jack up the heat and then split the bill when it comes in so now the roommate has to pay for something he/she doesn’t want.
That’s like going to a restaurant and ordering steak and shrimp while your friend orders salad and water and you want to split the bill. That’s not cool.
Work from Starbucks or the library if you want heat on someone else’s dime and keep expenses at the apartment low or foot the utility bill yourself.
You might use a little plug in heater to zone heat your area.
I think 66 is chilly if I am not active and staring at the computer all day
Wtf is this an American thing? 66 Fahrenheit is 18 °C? Thats too low. 68-70 would be average were I am from. My Flat is 20.5°C
I (Canadian) keep my house at 20.5C during the day as well (I wfh) & 19C at night. I don’t have Raynauds & 66F would be too cold for me to work.
NAH, 70 is a perfectly normal daytime room temp, but can you guys not split the difference and have it at 68? Then everyone can be equally unhappy with the temperature. Or you could pay a slightly higher percentage of the heating bill to make up for the fact that you’re at home all day with the heat higher than it would be if you weren’t working from home.