To think it’s not going to be a case of heating or eating for many families

[LadyCatStark]

We can forget heating altogether! I know it’s a nice little rhyme but for many, many families it’s going to be a case of eating or putting just enough petrol in the car to get you to work to pay all these increased costs. Eating yourself, or feeding your kids (hopefully most people will choose their kids). Eating healthily or eating cheap rubbish.

I’ve just nipped to Aldi as I had a work appointment cancel in the area and spent £40 just on the few bits I needed, not even a proper shop. I could have cried that I’d driven even just the 15 minutes to my appointment and it was cancelled and every drop of fuel counts.

@pawpaws2022

I was thinking about this tonight when I washed my face weirdly. Always do my skincare at the sink but let the tap run to get warm before I wash my cleanser off. Had a thought I should do it in the shower when the water is already warm and then thought "2022 in the U.K. and I'm thinking about not running a tap for 30 seconds to save energy"

It's a tiny thing (I'm really conscious of water/energy use already) but now I'm wondering how to actually dry clothes without using a heated airer if the house isn't warm. Stuff like reusable pads/jeans/jumpers take ages

You need a dehumidifier, they are very cheap to run, it will dry a load of clothes overnight & because it sucks the moisture out of the air, your heating will work better. I only have my heating on for one hour in the eve (have done for a few weeks now) & it's not cold.

@Yorkshirelass04

This is an entirely foreseeable consequence of Brexit.

People got what they voted for and so have to accept what comes with that.

Oh, not Margaret Thatcher? She's been blamed for everything including rain, frost, fever and pestilence.

@Yorkshirelass04

This is an entirely foreseeable consequence of Brexit.

People got what they voted for and so have to accept what comes with that.

What’s Brexit got to do with the invasion of the Ukraine which is the main reason that petrol prices have increased which is having having knock on prices on rising food costs? Plus the Ukraine supplies most of the wheat etc.

I suppose the silver lining is that fossil fuels might get phased out and greener energy might be an option ( clutching at straws,).
At the heart of everything is the environment and managing the resources it provides for well; something that as a species we have royally buggered up.

Food prices are going to rocket as a result of the war. The Ukraine is the primary supplier of wheat and barley in Europe plus corn and the leader in production of sunflower oil - this paired with rising fuel prices is going to have a huge impact. I know farmers that are planting spring barley and wheat now that they hasn’t planned to, it’s not going to offset the loss from the Ukraine though.

It’s a great opportunity to see why Britain should be prioritising food security over taking productive land out of production to plant trees.

@Yorkshirelass04

This is an entirely foreseeable consequence of Brexit.

People got what they voted for and so have to accept what comes with that.

It isn't solely Brexit- a lot of the world are in the same situ- they didn't have Brexit. Frustrating when people don't actually pay attention to current affairs before commenting.

Spanish utility and electricity bills have always been high. I know friends who could never switch the air con on.

@LizzieMacQueen

Re saving on heating water costs. What do you think would be an acceptable drop in showering habits? Once every second day? Or maybe better to shower daily but in tepid rather than hot water?

I think mumsnetters might have to get used to not showering everyday and washing clothes as often. I think it’s better to shower every other day or even every 3 days.

£40 on "bits" that you needed

What were these little bits??

I don't agree that we don't need heating, but I don't think we need it at the levels we are used to. We also don't 'need' petrol or food at the levels we use (broadly speaking). So I think for many people it's a case of adjusting expectations and habits which will be uncomfortable and potentially depressing. For some it will be much more serious.

I would rather shower everyday in cold water but I would shower everyday.

It's a nightmare. We've turned our heating off now and just run a fire. Feel like we've gone back a century.
We are really rural and my fuel bill was high before, we have to have 2 cars, we both work and then ferry kids to clubs. We've already cut non essential travel, Last month we spent £500 on fuel, I think if it continues the kids clubs will have to be cut. I know we chose to be rural, but this is a nightmare.

@malificent7

I suppose the silver lining is that fossil fuels might get phased out and greener energy might be an option ( clutching at straws,). At the heart of everything is the environment and managing the resources it provides for well; something that as a species we have royally buggered up.

Tell that to the people who are going to lose their homes and businesses because of this.

The heating is already off in our house, it won't go back on until October most likely. (Onsies have been bought!)
I got lucky with moving to a 2 year fixed rate, a week before my provider went bust and the prices went nuts.
There is no way we could take the hit on our budget for these increases.
I already have a water meter, shop at Aldi etc but even the food shop is costing a fortune even with meal planning and shopping around.

We're in the middle of selling the car for a much smaller and hopefully cheaper to run version. We are rural so need the car.

We will manage, I think, OH is a civil servant (29k annually) but I lost my job in January and am still trying to find a new one so we had already tightened our belt, but I'm really worried about the people stuck on benefits/minimum wage jobs.
Been there, done that and I really don't think the majority of people realise how soul destroying it is.

People died in the 70s because of cold. Older people are particularly susceptible and many of them won’t have the means to pay these massive bills.

We will cope, but it's eating into what was previously our "fun" money which is depressing, especially after a couple of years of precious little fun.

Having a DC away at university we are also having to up our monthly contribution to help subsidise their rising food and energy bills and the student loan obviously stays the same, whatever inflation does.

I've just consolidated my credit cards with a loan so that I pay less over a longer period. That should save me about 250 a month which will now get absorbed by the rising costs.

Wholesale prices are linked to covid when demand was low and supply high. Now demand is high supply can't keep up - this is also linked to reducing fossil fuel usage and forecasters trying to predict demand with a mix of renewable energy and fossil fuels. Opec are keeping supply low to maintain high prices (surprise). Wind speed has been lower this year so less energy generated. So many reasons and from what I've read nothing to do with brexit as it's affecting the world, not just the uk. It should correct itself but very slowly as suppliers will cling to profits for as long as possible. Hopefully not too long as it's risking a recession

See the thing about VAT, the government are benefitting hugely by the price rise. Surely by dropping to 2.5% , that would be a small measure to help.

@Yorkshirelass04

This is an entirely foreseeable consequence of Brexit.

People got what they voted for and so have to accept what comes with that.

Brexit is a relevant factor here, one of several, and knowing that it would likely leave us more exposed to any other shocks that came along is one of the many reasons I voted Remain. That part is correct. But the idea that people suffering are getting what they voted for simply won't do.

The referendum was nearly 6 years ago. At the time, Leave got 51.9% of votes cast which represented 37.5% of the electorate. Since then millions of people have turned 18 or acquired British citizenship, and that cohort are more anti-Brexit than average. Millions more have died since June 2016, and given that people were more likely to vote Brexit with age, that group will have been disproportionately Brexit voting. I don't know what the exact figures are now, and obviously we can't check with the deceased, but the percentage of the electorate today who voted Brexit could be well under a third.

So saying people will just have to accept what they voted for ignores the fact that for the majority, they did no such thing.

I think alot of kids will ended up forgoing their extracurricular activities aswell with parents pulling back money where they can which is worrying as a swimming teacher. It's wrong in 2022 where we work to survive or some cases get into debt and have nothing left over to have a treat or abit of luxury. This will then impact cinemas, takeaways, shops, restaurants, hospitality so the domingo effect will start people won't be needed and let go increasing unemployment. I've been buying the kids clothes in the sales ive had a clear out ready as they have grown out of stuff as I dread to think not having enough to buy stuff if needed in the future.

Some people have been extremely wasteful with heat, food and resources over the last 30 years. I hope this gives them a kick up the arse into changing these wasteful and destructive habits. The only way to do that is make it expensive; appealing to their morals / save the world side won’t work as they don’t care.

For others who are already mindful and frugal it will be absolutely disastrous. I hope these people get help but I wouldn’t bet on it from this inept and uncaring government.

I wouldn't be surprised if the depression and suicide rates increase with this. I think alot of people will feel the pressure.

I'm still waiting to see a single benefit to Brexit. Let alone numerous benefits that would outweigh the horrendous cost.

@malificent7

I suppose the silver lining is that fossil fuels might get phased out and greener energy might be an option ( clutching at straws,). At the heart of everything is the environment and managing the resources it provides for well; something that as a species we have royally buggered up.

Totally agree. Unpopular opinion but we have over used and wasted resources for years.

Chilly-crank the heating up
Need to go somewhere-drive a mile
Hungry-order food to be delivered so you dont need to leave the sofa.
Eco living is a sound bite.
Nice but as long as we dont have to make changes.
Well we have a nation of overweight, unhealthy people due to lifestyle.
Paradoxically the health of the nation will go up if people make changes.
Cold-put a jumper on
Less than 3 miles- walk or cycle
Hungry-wait until next meal time.
We live very NOW which leaves us vulnerable.

This will hit the elderly and disabled badly and I would support additional help but the rest of us need to get on with it and make changes.

People died in the 70s because of cold

People are dying now because of obesity and poor health associated with it.