Bengaluru apartment owner’s cost cutting e-mail sparks mockery on social media

Bengaluru apartment owner's bizarre e-mail on cost-cutting goes viral

A Bengaluru apartment owner has found himself at the center of online ridicule after an email he sent to his housing society, proposing drastic cost-cutting measures to reduce monthly maintenance charges, went viral on social media.

The screenshot of the email, widely shared on Reddit, lists a series of suggestions that many users described as impractical and detached from basic urban living realities. From cutting back on garbage collection to questioning the need for power backup and security arrangements, the proposals quickly drew mockery and criticism.

Can’t believe got this email from one of the owners in our apartment byu/Prize_Lychee8711 inbangalore

Among the suggestions was a call to reduce payments to gardeners by replacing them with automated drip irrigation systems. The homeowner also proposed lowering electricity expenses by switching common-area lighting to dim yellow bulbs and ensuring children play only before sunset, linking early sleep schedules to “discipline” and reduced power usage.

The email went on to suggest cutting costs on garbage collection and housekeeping by hiring “really good people” willing to work at lower wages. It further proposed reducing security expenses by employing guards only during the daytime and locking the apartment complex gates by 9 or 10 pm at night, citing it as “inhuman” to expect guards to stay awake late. Residents, according to the suggestion, should instead follow strict in-time rules.

Perhaps the most controversial recommendation was to do away with diesel generator (DG) power during outages altogether, calling power cuts “eco-friendly” and even beneficial. The homeowner also questioned the need for CCTV cameras inside the apartment complex, describing them as an invasion of residents’ privacy and an unnecessary expense if security guards were already being paid.

As the email gained traction online, social media users responded with biting sarcasm. One user joked that the list was incomplete without shutting down elevators to “save electricity” and forcing residents to take the stairs, adding, “Let the old people rot where they are.”

Another commenter described the email as the product of someone disconnected from reality, while others escalated the satire. “Reduce oxygen usage by asking residents to breathe less after 9 PM,” one user quipped, adding, “Moonlight only. Sunlight optional and chargeable.”