No power backup, no CCTV, no night guards: Bengaluru apartment owner’s email listing 5 cost-cutting ideas goes viral

A set of cost-cutting suggestions shared by a flat owner in Bengaluru has sparked widespread discussion and criticism on social media. The proposals, which include removing night-time security guards and CCTV cameras, were shared via an internal email to residents and later posted on Reddit.

A user on the r/bangalore subreddit shared a screenshot of the email, writing, “We have got this email from one of the owners in our apartment, providing suggestions to reduce the apartment maintenance in our society. Did one any in your society get these kinds of suggestions?” The identity of the email’s sender was not disclosed.




1. No Gardener, Switch to Automation
One of the key suggestions was to eliminate gardeners altogether by adopting automated irrigation systems. The owner wrote, “Reduce the amount of money given to gardeners every month we can set up an automated drip irrigation to water the plants.”

2. Dim Common Area Lights to Save Power
To cut electricity expenses, the owner suggested reducing lighting intensity in shared spaces. The email stated, “Reduce the money spent on common area power by changing lights to dim yellow lights and ensuring kids play only before sunset and good enforcement of discipline by helping them sleep early, wake up early.”

3. Alter Garbage Collection System
Another recommendation focused on reducing housekeeping expenses by changing garbage collection practices. According to the email, “Reduce the amount of money spent on garbage collection and housekeeping by hiring really good people who would do the job at low cost.”

4. No Night Guards, Lock Apartment Early
The most controversial suggestion involved limiting security staff to daytime hours only. The owner argued, “Reduce the amount of money spent on security as well and have guards only in the day time. Night time ensure the apartment is locked by 9pm or 10 pm. It's inhuman to even expect the guards to be awake late at nights. So we can set strict rules on in-time for residents.”

5. Remove CCTV Cameras and Power Backup
The email also called for eliminating diesel generators and CCTV cameras, citing environmental and privacy concerns. The message read, “Electricity we need not have DG supply when power is out as it's more eco friendly and good to be out of power sometimes. Minimize the use of CCTV cameras or remove them completely inside the apartment as its invasion of privacy of the residents.”

The suggestions quickly went viral on Reddit, drawing a mix of humour and strong criticism. One user commented, “He must be manager in some IT company brainwashed into cost cutting everything.” Another mocked the proposal by writing, “Hire 'good' workers who will work for 'less' , lmao,” calling it an example of toxic workplace culture.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post on Reddit. ET.com has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET.com. Reader discretion is advised.