Nobody knows exactly when it started.
Some historians believe it dates back to the 1970s, when electricity cost roughly the same as a detached house.
Others believe Northern Irish mothers are simply born with the supernatural ability to detect an illuminated bulb from a distance of up to three miles.
Either way, at approximately 7:42pm on a Tuesday evening, Sharon made a fatal error.
She left the downstairs toilet light on.
The room remained unoccupied for seventeen minutes.
Seventeen.
Minutes.
Witnesses reported hearing a sharp intake of breath from the kitchen.
Then silence.
The kind of silence that tells you somebody is calculating the financial impact of your actions.
Sharon's mother appeared in the hallway moments later.
"No wonder the electric bill's through the roof."
The statement was made despite the fact the bill had not yet arrived.
Nor had it increased.
Nor had the light actually consumed enough electricity to power a toaster.
But facts were irrelevant now.
A tribunal had been called.
Evidence was presented.
Previous offences were discussed.
The time Sharon forgot to turn off the immersion in 2008 was raised despite there being no formal record of the incident.
By 8:15pm she had been found guilty on all counts.
Sentence:
One lecture.
Two passive-aggressive comments.
And a reminder that electricity isn't free.
_________
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