Thermostat wars in your home? Hot Pockets will pay you $500 ‘to chill’

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Thirty lucky fans will each receive $500 and a month’s supply of Hot Pockets. (Credit: Hot Pockets)

SOLON, Ohio - Does your family have a debate over what temperature the thermostat should be set? If so, Hot Pockets wants to help by giving away money and a month’s worth of the microwaveable turnovers.

The Nestlé-owned brand is holding a "turn up the heat" contest, asking those who have an obsession with the thermostat "to chill" – and specifically calling out dads.

Videos of "dad thermostat" on TikTok have more than 223 million views and show strongly-worded notes, plexiglass lockboxes, and security cameras guarding the thermostat.

As it turns out, disagreements over the house thermostat are widespread in America, according to a recent survey commissioned by Hot Pocket and conducted by Wakefield Research.

The survey found that 55% of parents have disagreements with their children over the thermostat. Of those parents, 83% said their kids have changed the thermostat against their wishes.

"The cultural conversation around dad's obsession with the thermostat is constant," Bryan Waddell, Hot Pocket’s brand marketing manager, said in a statement. "HOT POCKETS is paying people to put away their strongly-worded notes in exchange for some help with the heating bill, or some enjoyment, this holiday season."

Smart home system taken over by hacker who turns the thermostat up to 90

A Milwaukee couple recently discovered that a hacker had gained access to their Nest home security system and thermostat, an all too common occurrence as more and more people turn to smart home systems.

Thirty lucky fans will each receive $500 and a one-month’s supply of Hot Pockets, which will be awarded in the form of 15 VIP product coupons, the company said.

To enter the Hot Pocket contest, fans can visit www.hotpockets.com/turnuptheheat through Dec. 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET. No purchase is necessary.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.