A little something for big dividends

Years ago, my mother hired someone to tend to the heating in her courtyard house. I went home to visit her, and found her huddled in an armchair with an electric blanket. The room temperature was hovering around that of my refrigerator.

"Mom, we have to do something about this."

"I know, I asked him to make it warmer, but he said he does not know how," my mother said with desperation in her eyes.