Choosing between heating and eating

Germany has plunged into recession, France economy is a basket case. Food was very expensive there last week.

The whole of the developed world is feeling inflation.

This is not just a UK problem

Let's not forget Labour's Liam Byrne's note "There's no money left"

No…I don’t have a candle.

Just different opinions 🤷‍♀️

I think some of the problem with the cost of gas is that the current government shut down the UK's gas storage based in the North Sea due to costs to repair, which used to store up to 70% of our gas and so we could buy when the price was low and buy enough for several months. Now we only have storage for a couple of days worth and have to buy frequently at a higher price, coupled with unforseen events like war in the Ukraine. So electricity is higher too.

I've cut back on gas to the point that I only shower once or twice a week, and it's tricky getting my boys in the shower, so that works well currently! I use a halogen worktop cooker thing, switch stuff on standby, sit in the dark or use a torch, boil the kettle once and put the rest of the water in a flask. Other than turning off my fridge and freezer and games consoles in the evening, there's nowhere else to cut back. Well, to be fair, I have thought about just doing cold food over the summer...

I'm on low pay self employed - every time the interest goes up it's like another nail in my micro biz coffin. I've started looking for an employed job but I've been working for myself for so long, I can't get a work reference, which is proving problematic. I'm struggling now. Caught between a rock and a hard place currently, which I'm sure alot of other people are in.

this thread is a year old !

Smart phone or food….hmmmm!

If it was January you may have a point but it’s the end of May and the temp in Edinburgh is a high of 19 and low of 8 today! Nobody should have their heating on so no need to choose between heat or eat

This is an old thread. The fuel cap has changed today:

https://news.sky.com/story/energy-price-cap-falls-significantly-as-ofgem-reveals-new-level-for-average-bills-12888237

The fuel increase is global and the French pay a shit ton more tax. So can do caps. It isn’t the tories fault. The same issue would exist under any other government

Not at the moment I'm not no. Turned heating off beginning of March and it won't go back on until October.

I'm stocking up on tins, rice, pasta etc during Summer ready for winter.

Oo look another bash the Tory thread from an op who obviously doesn’t understand global issues

@Normando91 Just wanted to update that I got one and you are absolutely right. It's cooking stuff in less than half the time of our oven and at a much lower overall wattage!

Being adequately warm to prevent flare-ups of arthritis etc. is not a luxury, no matter what people say. We live in an incredibly wealthy country and people shouldn't have to be cold.

Keeping the Dreamies in the coffee table drawer has a very positive influence on their choice of relaxation place, @PinkSparklyPussyCat

Now if I had a cat who would sit on me I wouldn’t have to put the heating on @Antarcticant!

Yeah absolutely. No one in the uk who is genuinely poor is putting heating on in June.

It's May, not June. Some parts of the UK have a low of 4 degrees tonight.

For the record, my heating is off and I'm huddled beneath dressing gown, 2 fluffy blankets and my nice warm cats.

Yeah absolutely. No one in the uk who is genuinely poor is putting heating on in June.

FFS, I was replying to a comment about putting the heating on. I have not claimed to be poor (and I’m not saying I’m rich before I’m jumped on for that, I’m definitely not!) and it’s not a regular occurrence!

Yeah absolutely. No one in the uk who is genuinely poor is putting heating on in June.

The price has gone up due to global demand issues. While we might all want to be able to just have whatever we want all the time, that’s not real life.

Sorry @coffeecupsandfairylights, I shouldn’t have been sarcastic. I just wish my bloody living room wasn’t permanent cold!

It seems very indulgent to have heating on at this time of year. Mine is off between April and September as a minimum.

Seems very easy for people to blame the government for everything, but where's the personal accountability? Free education for all, free health care, a benefits system for if you lose your job etc yet still people moan and expect more.

Obviously 🙄

My reply was to someone saying who has the heating on now, not a breakdown of what I’ve done or could do before putting it on.

Have I missed the part where I said I was? I was replying to someone who said who has the heating on in nearly June. Jesus!

But if you were genuinely in a position of choosing between eating and heating, you'd try blankets, a hot water bottle, hot drinks and a duvet before putting the heating on in May.

It's not like you needed to put the heating on, there were plenty of other ways to warm up - I assume you did it because you could afford it and it was more convenient.