Surely they can’t expect us to pay 240 per month for power!

[Ellie198712]

Just read Martin Lewis’s latest email and it’s predicting average bills of £2900 per year!! Surely the government will need to step in and subsidise this cost. Our current bill is about 100 per month, and this just seems untenable for the vast majority

Yes Clarabe1 the net curtain would freeze to the inside of the windows.

I used to love it when it was time for flannelette sheets though

I had the heating off this weekend and the teens/young adults didn't say a word

Dp noticed but was fine with it off

They all walk l round like princes with a fleece blanket on like a cloak!

Surely people being quoted 400-500 a month fixed rate will be better off on the variable regardless of whether it goes up?

@Handsnotwands

I remember when we got central heating put in for the first time when I was young. I don’t remember being very cold before we did. Maybe we will get used to no heating 🤷🏼‍♀️

I was a teenager when we got central heating. Before that it was a back boiler off the living room fire and an old fashioned black range in the kitchen. Upstairs was bloody freezing. In winter there was ice on the inside of the windows.

I still remember how amazing it was to actually feel warm in my bedroom.

I am really worried about rising costs. We are in an old house and can't afford new doors, which would really help. We have oil fired central heating and have almost ran out. I have been turning the heating off. It is pretty miserable and tonight I caved and out it back on as we were all so cold. Not sure how we are going to get through this, but we will.

@HereComesSpringAgain

£240 a month is equal to our sky tv and mobile phone costs

so its a choice we will need to make

Our sky TV costs £19 and broadband £23 which I need to WFH Our phones are on a contract so can't end that early, but even if we did a c£30 a month saving, say £50 if we cancelled TV too, isnt going to go far towards estimated increases of over £100 a month.

Add that to the fact our landlord is selling our house and a comparable house is now £200+ more a month to rent ...

I honestly don't know

@jackieh1987

Unfortunately due to Covid Government borrowing is already at a record high and the interest alone on that debt is £68 billion per year - by comparison defence spending is £44 billion,, education £99 billion and health £170 billion.. You could borrow more but other stuff would need to be cut to pay for the larger interest payments.

Furlough cost £70 billion, track and trace £37 billion and let's not forget eat out to help out at £600 million.

@tttigress

Erm, but if the government subsidies the people who pays? The tax payer. Who is the tax payer? The people!!

Yes, but the poorer taxpayer pays nothing/less and the richer taxpayer pays more. This is obvious.

@DetailMouse my brother had a balaclava on when he did his paper round!, I remember the power cuts too. Sitting round a sodding candle. I used to have to get the coal in and I remember the coal being 1 large lump because it had frozen. I loved my hot water bottle.. I wouldn’t like to think of kids living like that today. Thankfully at least most homes are double glazed today and winters are rarely as harsh. Please God - at least make winter 2022 a mild one seeing as everything else as gone to rat shit.

Ours has gone up from £220 to £295 nearly £3000 a year. That is nearly half of my pension. Hubby gets a state pension too but we will have to cut down on heat

We'll use the log burner more and change our eating habits.

MPs will be just in time to get their £2.212 pay rise so they won't feel the pinch. Alright for some.

@Handsnotwands

I remember when we got central heating put in for the first time when I was young. I don’t remember being very cold before we did. Maybe we will get used to no heating 🤷🏼‍♀️

Far more people died early or young due to illnesses related to being cold.

Maybe we will get used to being dead?

1dayatatime
How very rude of you to say the govt spaffed away £37million on track and trace, they used that money to make their friends rich. Non of it was wasted at all.

@Batinhernightdress

And what about hospitals and prisons and schools, where does the money to pay for there heating come from? I am so fucking cross.

I don't know about hospitals and prisons, but schools have to cover the costs from their budgets. The school I teach in is warning us to limit our energy usage - this is going to impact the education we provide as there's going to be less money for other things like staffing, buying resources etc.

@labyrinthlaziness that’s true. I remember old people dying from the cold. I think we children were more resilient. A 70s child was always out playing but I certainly remember the old and infirm suffering.

We already pay £190 on a fixed tariff that hasn't yet been affected by the increase. Dreading to see what the increase will be when our current tariff ends!

@HereComesSpringAgain

I had the heating off this weekend and the teens/young adults didn't say a word

Dp noticed but was fine with it off

They all walk l round like princes with a fleece blanket on like a cloak!

Haha, I thought it was only mine who wore fleece blankets!

@StScholastica

1dayatatime How very rude of you to say the govt spaffed away £37million on track and trace, they used that money to make their friends rich. Non of it was wasted at all.

Apologies- you are right and I stand corrected.

[quote Clarabe1]@labyrinthlaziness that’s true. I remember old people dying from the cold. I think we children were more resilient. A 70s child was always out playing but I certainly remember the old and infirm suffering.[/quote]
More children died too. You can look up the stats.

Some hints from someone who has actually been poor….

• Get a lighter, go round all your door and window frames looking for draughts. Buy a roll of duck tape and block them off. It doesn’t look pretty but it works and is effective (you can buy it in white)

• Line curtains with those super cheap ikea fleece blankets. Even if you can’t stitch you can use safety pins or hemming tape.

• Heat one main room and everyone knows that’s the “warm” room. Leaving the door open to this room will result in a family court summons

• Leave the oven open after you’ve cooked. If you are absolutely desperate you can heat the oven and keep the door open for warmth. I don’t recommend this but in a pinch it works.

• Go out. Library’s, museums, shops, they are all warm

• Week free Trial gyms, there’s enough of them and you get a free hot shower and possibly a sauna

I haven't added it up but I'm on prepayment meters and I'm constantly topping it up. Currently sat here freezing with 4 blankets on, I have no idea what to do about the increases. I need petrol to get DC to school and work as there's no buses but that skinted me today.

[quote Clarabe1]@labyrinthlaziness that’s true. I remember old people dying from the cold. I think we children were more resilient. A 70s child was always out playing but I certainly remember the old and infirm suffering.[/quote]
I find those reminiscing about coping as children a little distasteful, coping as a child is nothing like coping when old and infirm. The reality we will be facing is nothing like the rose tinted childhood memories in the 70's.

amnm do you think there will even be the budget there to pay double/triple the current cost?

@labyrinthlaziness I don’t doubt it. I was relatively well off compared to some. I was well fed and we had a coal fire. There was always 1 warm room.

Is it wise to turn the fridge freezer off overnight ?or does it use more energy getting back to temperature? I've had power cuts for hours and the fridge/freezer was unaffected as long as the door wasn't opened...