I am sick of feeling the cold. The electric bill is crippling me.

[SoleSource]

Freezing.

Also those of you on prepayment look into a company called utilita they do not charge prepayment more than dd customers you get a smart meter and I'm pretty sure that for duel fuel they are the cheapest around

I cannot understand why people just sit around when it is cold. Move around, do some housework, etc. Not constantly but sort out a cupboard or change duvet covers when you are starting to feel cold. Get your coat on, go out for a good stomp around the block, and I guarantee your house will feel warm when you get home.

Yeah lets not discuss fuel poverty, how normal working people are fretting every time the boiler comes on. They should just clean.

A warm house is a luxury afforded only by the wealthy it seems.

Agree with that one for anyone in Wales Maenad, i've got them coming around next week, they've been really helpful.
They're sending me a free radiator fan that pushes the heat into the room, haven't told them i dont have any working radiators as i couldn't afford the oil, as i'm hoping it might work behind my woodburner downstairs!
The house upstairs and in the morning is so cold i can see my breath, and its making my Raynauds absolutely horrendous.

Hi Sole! sorry to hear you're in the same boat

Hot water bottles, slankies, fleecy slipper boots, thermals and a body warmer.

and I live in a centrally heated double glazed house.
However the heating "inadequate" (typical crap MOD housing) and we have a thermometer in the living room which has cold, cool, comfortable and hot marked on it. Ours is always saying "cold", even when the heatings on it says it.

Hi jelly pmd you beforespotted your post. Scottish Power is better for you lol.

I picked up a £20 2kw convection heater from Argos today to see if it helps. We have shit storage heating, simply cannot afford to have them on upstairs.

I blame the torys de nationalising gas and electric.

Can we blame the elderly who voted thatcher in to?

Hi InNeed:)

Where have you been sole? I have missed you!

Helping a neighbour in need. Hows you? Hows the mystery flower guy?

Is gthat the one you posted about before in a DV sit?

I'm really good, started a new job monday so getting used to the 6AM starts , it hurts leaving my warm bed that time of the morning!

Flower guy knocked on my door about a week and a half ago! I didn't answer and haven't heard nothing since.

I have been so moved reading this thread I had to post. I am furious on your behalf that in 2012 people are still living in these condtions in the UK. It's a national scandal.

I was brought up in house with one coal fire in the living room, with no other heating in the house. We had ice inside the windows. I can still remember how miserable the cold can make you. I can empathise with you all.

I am now in the extremely fortunate position of living in a double-glazed, insulated, centrally-heated home with an A rated condensing combi boiler. My heating is on twenty-four hours a day. I pay £62 per month for gas. Thaat covers my central heating, the odd occasion I put the gas fire on the living room on and the cooker's eight gas rings. (The ovens are electric). I pay £80 per month for electricity. Both of these are paid by direct debit, so perhaps I save money there.

I used to complain about my utility bills. I had a damned cheek.

Sorry don't know what else to say.

I've resorted to knocking back Aldi vodka. It keeps my feet warm. [poor circulation]

Great to hear they've been helpful for you jellykat! We had a guy from nest come along to one of our surgeries and he was a mine of useful info.

He gave me some advice on arranging oil co-ops with neighbours to get better prices on oil, could you do something like that?

Congrats on new job InNeed :)

He is petsistant and knocking on your door. You did right thing. Ignore it!

Winter mornings 6am brrrr. Gawd!:(

lovelyladuree - people don't always feel like going for a walk in the pitch black, when you get home from work at 7pm & need to sit & eat.

Sole check your inbox my lovely..

Maenad Unfortunately my neighbours (bearing in mind i'm in the middle of nowhere) all took advantage of the solar panel subsidiary grant thingy, i'm surrounded by roofs covered in them, but thank you for the suggestion

Just did a quick comparison on Utilita as recommended by someone above and they are a bit cheaper.

I didn't realise just how expensive gas and electric are for us at the moment though - this is the result of the comparison:

New Annual Electric Cost £857.42
New Annual Gas Cost £1,199.81

Electric Comparison £65.06 cheaper than your current supplier
Gas Comparison £9.36 cheaper than your current supplier
Total Comparison £74.42 cheaper than your current supplier

Thank you sole

My friend works full time, but only gets minimum wage and has to use a paraffin lamp to keep warm

"Can we blame the elderly who voted thatcher in to?"

Oy! less of the elderly thank you. I was old enough to vote when she became PM - and no, I definitely did not vote for her.

I think it is outrageous that lower income families end up paying more per unit for utilities because of prepayment meters/inadequate heating/poor insulation/rubbish boilers etc.

Bunbaker that is a convector heater on for a few hours a day in the living room, oil filled plug in radiator in the bathroom and a convector on 12am-5am to dry my washing.

Would it be cheaper to run a dehumidifier at night instead of a convector heater? Also you wouldn't run the risk of mould developing.