What do you think this winter will really be like?

[MumbleCrumbs]

I've done a bit too much doom scrolling tonight. Our landlord has just put our rent up by 120 pounds due to inflation and our fixed energy bill ends this month. I am starting to grow really concerned on how we are going to manage, as well as society as a whole. So many people are going to be in so much trouble I don't understand why there seems to be no plan!

What do you think this winter will really be like? The catastrophic rolling blackout, schools with 3 day weeks scenario, or do you think the government will do something to fix it. Somewhere in the middle of the two? Societal unrest?

I've never felt so uneasy living in this country before.

@PersonaNonGarter sorry if it wasn't clear. My cynical view was towards how the gov choose to help as opposed to why the war in Ukraine has resulted in higher prices energy. I thought that was obvious 😁

Oh haha. There are many of us aged over 65 on here.

I think the poster meant the 70s anyway. The winter of discontent.

Er, he is still the Prime Minister. Until tomorrow at least.

If children are at home then parents are at home, and we all know that this didn’t work during the lock downs.
Massive problem innit! People (mostly women) will have to reduce their hours or even lose their jobs, thus earning less and causing long term effects on their employability and pensions. If schools close I’ll have to stop working.

I was a teenager in the 60s and don't remember much hardship, there was plenty of reasonably paid work, you could leave a job and get another by the following week. The 70 s were another matter, inflation started to increase, meaning strikes for bigger wages, causing power blackouts, and 3 day week etc. student grants were reasonable, though, I was working, earning less than 100 per month, my husband was a student, our rent was £8 a week, so we saved his grant for 2 years and lived off my wage, and that was enough for a deposit on a house priced £6,000. Inflation then really took off, our mortgage interest reached 17%, there were no fixed deals. Prices just rose astronomically, and we were up shit creek, with a baby, no child care, and one teachers wage, which was lower than most factory workers, and lorry drivers etc. We had no credit cards, they weren't really a thing for us, which was probably a blessing, we survived. Some of our friends had to sell or not even buy a house until the economy settled. The inflation in house prices which took off then has never gone away, causing big problems, although food and clothing have been, relative to wages, much cheaper since then.
We survived, but I do wonder how things will be left this time.

God yes, the waste I’ve seen at workplaces is shocking. Some companies now have sensor lights which seems sensible, so once you leave that area lights automatically switch off. I’ve worked in the food industry as well and the amount of perfectly good food (that could be given to the workers was thrown away (shocking!) and taps running full speed over unmanned kitchen sinks wound me up no end.

JOE asking Tories how we can cope....Grim and bear it...

We need to remember that Europe are at war with Russia, which supplies roughly 40% of gas to Europe. We import 4% of gas from Russia but haven't done for the past few months.

Russia have turned off one of their gas pipes supplying Germany which is why there has been rationing and black outs over there.

Absolutely ancient then 🙄

We import 4% of gas from Russia but haven't done for the past few months.

And because Russia has stopped supplying mainland Europe, the European countries are looking to the UK’s usual supplier to make up the shortfall. The increased competition for a finite resource has driven up the price to astronomical levels.

We have to pay more than anybody else, or we don’t get any gas at all.

I can clearly remember man landing on the moon - I'm 61 and vaguely the World Cup win but I've never forgotten my first day at school and a big puddle of wee under my desk which I had done.

I can clearly remember man landing on the moon - I'm 61 and vaguely the World Cup win but I've never forgotten my first day at school and a big puddle of wee under my desk which I had done.

Same here. Minus the wee.😀

However, my memories stretch back well before my first day at school.

I remember the awful winter of 1963. Went on for months.

All winters were pretty miserable, no CH so heating in living room only. Bath once a week (Sunday night) all 3 children sharing same bathwater. Strip wash at kitchen sink every night.

I think a major difference will be made by double glazing - even without any heating on we'll be warmer these days than then.

If anyone still has single glazing I'd do whatever you can to upgrade.

You're 61 on 2022. So must have been 4-6 in the mid sixties. And you have very clear memories of the political situation???

Rationing of the gas we can get would have been better than the current run away prices. It would protect businesses and push domestic customers towards solar. We are hoping to be mainly off grid next year, also considering a heat pump to make sure we are 99% off grid and sustainable. If we are unable to line up the required trades and annual leave it will be done in 2024!

I think the government will step in to protect the NHS and schools from the rise in effect paying their bills from the central pot not individual budgets.

Applying the price cap to business customers would be a very good move along with mandating smart meters so no one can over use electric or gas above a sustainable level.

You're 61 on 2022. So must have been 4-6 in the mid sixties. And you have very clear memories of the political situation???

Probs one of those MNs kids who was reading war & peace at 3 😆

How long until workhouses pop up again? Poor people can work for food and heat and contribute to society.

This isn't what I want to happen btw but i can just imagine it being touted as a reasonable solution 😕

A recurring wet dream for JRM and the like.

Yes he is

Luxury. We used to dream about having candles in our ink wells!

we used to dream about having ink in our inkwells!

Always good to see remarks made in context I think.

fullfact.org/news/Boris-Johnson-new-kettle/

That was suggested on a old thread a few weeks ago by someone bashing the benefit claimant.s

They suggested putting the old, ill, disabled and unemployed in a secure hospital like place that they couldn't leave unless they had a job and could prove they could support themselves... Basically a prison for the poorest.of society.

So there are people out there that would support the idea.. which is worrying to think about really.

I think it'll be very tough. I think a lot of people will get into debt and a nasty recession seems inevitable. Im not sure about power cuts.
We have just lived through covid which was tough in other ways so I think people are a bit more hardened for tough times than they were.

Meh. Like covid I guess. People presuming death is just around the corner but things carrying on as per normal.

I honestly don't know. We shall see. Trying to prepair where you can is good for your mental health I find. I have researched my washing machines power usage for example