To be sick of not being able to afford the heating on

[KeepMeCalm13]

Thankfully no children involved.

We are yet to have any form of heating on this autumn/winter as we just cannot afford the bill. We only have central heating, no fire. I'm currently sat in a t-shirt, thick jumper, dressing gown, jeans, 2 pairs of socks, and slippers and I've got a hot water bottle and I'm frozen. The thought of another 4 months of this makes me want to cry.

Playing lady bountiful once every 6 weeks doesn't make you a bloody hero
.

Well my Dad is strictly speaking an OAP but he has two very good private pensions on top of his state one, the WFA and a detached house which he could sell and downsize from.

Not everyone is in that position and it's bloody awful for the older generation. Most of my mine won't either and I don't even want to think about how my children will manage.

It's 5 degrees outside tonight. I know people in Russia who would consider that a bleeding luxury and laugh in the face of all of those entitled bastards who think that simply having a job means they should be able to sit in their house without 46 layers of clothes on.

No it doesn't Usual about that I agree. But it would be much better if everyone did it; and I rather wonder how many on this thread try to put back as much as they take out.

Anyway to whoever said it, I'm very grateful for the compliment about good punctuation.

Married I work 40hours a week just over min wage and gratful that it is a perm having done angency work for 3 yrs I have to spend 40 pounds a week just in petrol just to get there my dp works but hes angcey getting 2 or 3 nights a weeks but he is on call EVERY FUCKING NIGHT IN CASE HE GETS CALLED IN if he complained and asked for more shifts he wouldnt get any all the angecys are like that to he has been with for over three yr he moved to a diff one he be at the bottom again on even a lower wage we dont claim any benfits and I budget every week thankyou I did when I was married as a single parent and now and we still cant afford heating all day every the rent is in credit counicel tax in credit other bills in credit we have no debt no loans we live week to week but the car needs servcing which we have saved for OVER SUMMER. The car is a vital thing so I can car as no buses run where I walk and I cant cycle 32 miles each day

I think very few have given as much back on this thread as you have.

married, don't be holding up your work as some sort of virtue, jeez it negates the fact you do it at all.

many many people do your type of work and live in a box to boot.

Still smug, I see.

We actually have the heating on twice a day. On a morning for getting up and at tea time for a few hours, so I don't feel too cold. I feel lucky to be able to do this. I was chatting to my brother earlier on and he says he can't afford to put his heating on at all. He only lives in a 2 bedroomed flat.
What really pisses me off is the utility companies are putting the prices up again and again whilst already making huge profits. They could afford to reduce the prices. We really are going backwards!

Well said piratecat

'So, are you suggesting then expat that I stop giving time and money to the homeless because you disagree with my philosophy? There are plenty of people in shoes like mine who actually don't give a flying fuck you know and who would rather those people froze in a doiorway because they would then be less of a drain.'

I don't give a toss what you do except that you use volunteering with the homeless as an excuse to generalise about large swathes of people and as the premise that everyone should be accepting of not using heat.

This whole, 'Well, I had it hard growing up and so did my parents, so you should, too,' smacks of the most ignorant mean-spiritedness going.

My dad had it really rough growing up, but he wanted and was glad to see things, standards of living, improve for the following generations and finds it backwards, ignorant and mean-spirited to race to teh bottom just because things used to suck for him and others.

'and I rather wonder how many on this thread try to put back as much as they take out.'

All sorts of implications from that. Unsurprisingly.

marriedinwhite - don't you think it's appalling that people on prepayment meters have to pay more for their energy than those on direct debit?

I don't believe in nationalised industry but I do think energy should be much better regulated... surely it would make more sense to have low energy prices for the first X units and then increase the price, rather than the other way round as is currently the case.

And there should be grants available to convert council properties with storage heaters to proper gas central heating.

My brother was also saying that he had read that it is estimated that 20,000 people (elderly and infirm) will die this year of the cold! In 2013?!

The thing that pisses me off with meters which I have is that you have already paid for it why do we have to pay more and once there are in rental houses they wont take them out and you are stuck with the prodiver so I cant even swap I had storeage heaters as well and they are bloody awful

starsandunicorns are you saying that if you feed the meter over the summer and have to move in winter because the landlord is selling up that you don't get that back?

Bloody hell, I hadn't thought of that.

IT has happened once 20 pounds in the elec meter in once phoned them up asked if I could crdited and got told they dont do that and I would have to ask the landlord which I did and got shurgged shoulders that was only five years ago

but its the fact you put the money in and kwp is more exepenise than via direct debit the fact that you have already paid upfront they dont need to chase you but still you pay a higher rate

That sounds really horrible. No real advice, but I feel for you. We are being really careful about heating but doesn't seem to fall into anything like the same category.

Pre-payment meters are a disgrace. Basically charging people who cannot afford it more than those who can. Can't believe that some suppliers charge £60 to remove it.

I often find that a hot bath or shower in the evening makes me feel warm for a while afterwards - is that stupid advice because the water costs money too? Not sure how the two things compare.

Married, you should change your nn to blissfully ignorant it would suit you.

I like to think that for every married in the world there is a Slickrick,offering to buy people heaters.

This would redress the balance between the ignorant and the truly wise.

Are you sure you can't ask for Payment meters to be removed?

I only ask because we had one in a property and it nearly killed us as I was on SMP. We had never experienced one before so just thought it was what we had to do.

When we moved out I went back to pick up some things I'd left I the loft. I had a chat with the new tenant, mentioned the high cost of power and she told me that she'd just asked for it to be taken out. I had no idea you could do this, apparently it was installed because the tenants before us had gotten into debt with the power company and the meter rates were set to acknowledge this, and pay it back!

Feckin landlord never mentioned it and I had to battle for weeks to try and get the power company to refund the debt we had paid off on their behalf.

marriedinwhite I found this really insightful and actually found myself think

killermartinis.kinja.com/why-i-make-terrible-decisions-or-poverty-thoughts-1450123558/@laurabeck

Gah stupid phone.

...found myself thinking of your comments as I read it.

different perspective

Yes you can ask to have meters removed but sometimes landlords say it has to stay plus as we have a irreaugaly income its better so you know its paid already plus to have it removed you have to pay alot of money

Also many companies charge for removal.