A British power company has apologized on Twitter for offering what it acknowledged were “embarrassingly unhelpful and poorly judged” energy-saving tips to customers.
In a blog post sent to clients of its brand SSE, OVO Energy suggested they cuddle their pets or loved ones, eat ginger or porridge, do housework, challenge children to a hula-hoop contest, drink more water, buy wool socks or do jumping jacks to save on heating bills amid soaring prices.
“This blog should never have been written or sent to customers,” the company tweeted Tuesday, adding it was “sincerely sorry.”
The apology came after the tips were widely derided by lawmakers in the United Kingdom on both sides of the aisle and on social media.
“Being told to put on a jumper instead of turning on your heating if you can’t afford it at a time of such difficulty for so many families is plainly offensive,” Darren Jones, a Labour member of Parliament, told The Financial Times.
Theresa Villiers, a member of Parliament for the ruling Conservative Party, described the advice as “pretty insensitive.”
“Many people are very anxious about rising energy bills and won’t take kindly to being told to do some star jumps,” she said, per The Guardian.
And people on Twitter made it very clear how they felt about the tips: