AITA My roommate asked me not to use the oven?

A Redditor shared a frustrating experience with their Spanish roommate, who has been nitpicky since they moved in together. Most recently, the roommate criticized the user for using the oven to cook veggie chicken patties, citing high electricity costs. Despite offering to cover any additional expenses, tensions have risen over the issue. The user plans to continue using the oven, raising the question of whether this makes them inconsiderate. Read the full story below.

‘ AITA My roommate asked me not to use the oven?’

I am currently living in Spain with two other girls, one Spanish and the other Ecuadorian (I am only using their nationalities as a way to distinguish them). Anyway, the Spanish roommate has been nit picky since we first moved in, but I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

For example, she started a cleaning schedule, to which I have not problem with, but then sent a passive aggressive text to our group chat about how the kitchen wasn’t cleaned correctly even though my other roommate had done a good (not perfect) job cleaning it. She knew this and still said “Well, I can help you if you want because there is dust on the stove” (the rag we use leaves debris, causing it to look SLIGHTLY dusty, but she knows this, whatever).

Anyway, tonight, I was using the oven for exactly 10 minutes to cook veggie chicken patties and she comes to my room telling me that the oven uses a lot of electricity and not to use it for small things… This felt like my last straw but I have to live with her. BTW I said i’d pay extra if the monthly bill is outrageous. (I have several ways of comparing the prices and many friends who live in the city who also have roommates).

I will continue to use the oven whenever I want but pay for it if necessary. Does this make me the a**hole? I might be the a**hole if I keep using it in spite of her asking me not to.

Here’s what people had to say to OP:

Irish_Whiskey −  NTA. And she comes to my room telling me that the oven uses a lot of electricity and not to use it for small things. Does she have any actual power? Are you subleasing from her, does she own the place, etc? Because if not, she’s just going to continue bossing you around until explain simply “You are not my boss, my parent, or landlord. I have the right to use these things I paid for, you have no say otherwise. Leave me alone.”

moleman92107 −  “Fellas are you an a**hole if you (*checks notes*) cook food at your own home?” NTA, I know energy prices are a little higher in Europe but you still have to eat lol.

MrsNobodyspecial67 −  NTA. She can not expect you not to eat. You have helped by offering to pay the overage. It will be hard to compare since she has no idea the cost to heat up food.. But still you did nothing wrong.

CowNo6152 −  Do they not use the oven? This person is on a weird power trip. It’s not expensive to use an oven and you used it for a perfectly legitimate reason.

ExpatriadaUE −  NTA. It’s true that in Spain some people have an o**ession about how expensive it is to use the oven and your roommate’s family was probably like this and that’s what she has heard her whole life. Would it be possible for the three of you to buy an air fryer for the appartment so that you don’t have to use the oven for small things?

VinylHighway −  “no thanks I will continue to use but I’d appreciate if you didn’t show or use the toilet because it uses a lot of water”.

pernicious_penguin −  Some Spanish people are super freaked out by electricity use as the prices have gone up so much in the last few years. That’s not to say you shouldn’t use it, but I’m not totally surprised by that reaction. Many people I know here take cold and very quick showers for the same reason. Source, living in Spain with several friends like this….

Anxious_Reporter_601 −  NTA. You pay to live there that includes using the appliances.

sues-zzzz-que −  No, especially because you are offering to pay extra. Has anyone tried talking to her?

Hot-Cardiologist3761 −  NTA. She’s going to be a nightmare to live with.