If you’re renting a place and you’re paying for the electricity, it’s reasonable to assume that you don’t want your bill to be any higher than it needs to be.

Because who wants to fork over more money to a utility company, right?

In today’s story, a person renting a home is putting their foot down about letting a contractor use their electricity while they work on a neighbor’s house.

Let’s see what’s going on here…

AITA for not allowing my neighbor’s contractor to borrow my electricity?

“I rent a home (and pay all the utilities and monthly expenses) and my landlord just so happens to live next-door.

He’s an elderly gentleman (84) who I love and has become like an adopted grandfather.

Recently the neighbors behind me, who are rarely home, and have never spoken to me once in the 3+ years I’ve lived here, decided to have a piece of concrete removed from their back yard.

It’s in the back corner of their yard near the alley way we share. Yesterday a man involved with the construction company working on the project stopped by and asked if he could park a dumpster in the parking area behind my house.

Sure, why not?

Not a problem I said!

There’s a separate area for me to park my car still so it wouldn’t be any trouble. We had a nice chat about my garden and went on with our business.

Then today the same man shows up when I was weeding outside. He comes over and says hi then starts telling me that he asked my landlord about using the electrical outlet on my garage for his construction project.

My landlord had told him he could use the outdoor outlet that was attached but I pay for the electricity there.

Well…

I looked confused and informed him that I was the one who covered the electrical costs of the house/garage.

He sort of laughed and shrugged and said we’ll figure it out. Now he’s outside getting out an extension cord and jack hammer right next to my garage where the outlet is.

Meanwhile these people have a nice home with a few cameras and storm/security lighting all throughout the backyard, why not use their outlets/electricity?

AITA?

I don’t want to upset my landlord at all.

And I realize it’s not going to be a huge addition to my electrical bill. But I just don’t know these people at all. And I don’t feel like I owe them free electricity.”

Reddit users shared their thoughts.

This person said he’s NTA.

Another individual agreed.

This Reddit user spoke up.

Another individual said he’s NTA.

And this person shared their thoughts.

Why should he have to foot the bill for someone else’s work?

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.