To wonder how people will financially survive?

[Cupcakeicecream]

To think that many people are struggling already. Food price rises, gas and electric costs. The general cost of living due to inflation from either brexit since the pandemic and Ukraine war. But come on some people were struggling before any of those factors. Financially people will be pushed to breaking christmas will be off the cards general life will stagnate no meals out leisure activities cinema socialising new clothes treat foods. The threat of blackouts and wondering how we will pay bills to keep warm or keep a house running. Never mind buying food the price of it plus the large gaps on shelves. Winter will be miserable. It's becoming impossible to live in this country.

Britain was involved in 21 wars between WW2 and the date l started working (Cod wars excluded)

I paid for them all. We’re paying all the time.

I’m far from convinced too, Starmer has yet to prove to me that he’s a strong leader, I certainly wouldn’t vote for him at the moment let alone the Tories.
We’re pensioners, I honestly don’t know how we’re going to cope. We rarely go out, have holidays or spend time socialising. I am getting the house up together to ensure our outgoings are as low as possible and all I can say is we lived frugally for many years when we were first married so I hope we will survive somehow!

If you need convincing listen to Rachel Reeves on the Today programme on R4 this morning. It’ll be on iPlayer, she was interviewed at around 8.40.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001bcn5

Wow! Where did that come from? Thanks for labelling me & my family as what you deem to be the lowest of the low. Judgemental or what!

And you'd be wrong as well as nasty.

There's a enormous cost involved in not helping people. Ignoring (for a sec) the moral cost of not looking after people in a society; there's a big financial cost too

More people using candles rather than lights or gas = more house fires
People coming to work hungry and stressed= low productivity and people not able to do their jobs well
Businesses not able to meet their fuel costs= failure of businesses with big knock on effects for the

We need two lots of big investment from government; medium term investment to improve UK energy security by being able to generate what we need and short term support to ensure that energy bills remain affordable until energy security is achieved

And, we need to consider energy generation that is less popular, like nuclear and fracking.

Zahawi is making it very clear that more help is on the way. I just wish the media would stop catastrophising, it helps no-one. Until we know what extra help is being given, then there really is nothing to discuss.

For anyone reading this in Wales and worried there looks to be movement on the Welsh Government Fuel help.

Applications through your local authorities will open up 26th of September, if eligible it's an extra £200 on top of the £400 Westminster grant and the UC Cost of living payment due to come in, in Autumn.

Google "Wales winter fuel support scheme"

I believe there also might be some funding being put to LA's to give "fuel vouchers" to those not quite meeting some of the criteria but can demonstrate they are in fuel poverty, I'm waiting on more info on that one though.

@ChipsRoastOrBoiled Don't you see, you should simply have got a job in an investment bank!

Yep

We also need to put a stop to the nimbys who don’t want to look at wind farms along the coast road.I live by rampion wind farm who want to enlarge it so it stenches from Brighton to Bognor whilst at the moment it is just the stretch from east Worthing to Worthing. Loads of opposition and yet Brighton is supposed to be green. Look at the size of the purposed expansion and just think what that could produce.

Sorry should say it will go past Brighton as far a probably new haven so it isn’t just Brighton objecting

Are you sure it is going quadruple?

Our energy companies should be owned by us. They should be non-profit making, and generate enough power via renewables and nuclear to power this country's homes and businesses so that we are self sufficient and don't have to pay international market prices.

Essential utilities should be run for the benefit of our country, our people and our economy.

If they were none of this would be happening.

@JOFFCV

Most of the last few years the price cap was about £1200, in April it went up to £1,971, today it's £3,549, in January it's expected to be £5,386, and then go up again in April.

The average energy bill for the four weeks of January alone is expected to be £700.

I believe there is a very rough calculator on Martin Lewis's site, but it's only for today's rise, not January's and April's.

And there will be a dramatic increase in mental health problems and suicides. Many people won’t be able to afford to keep warm or eat properly. Add to that, some struggling to pay increasing mortgage rates and rents. It’s a recipe for many to conclude there is no point in going on.

It's going to be like an energy lockdown this winter isn't it?

Most people won't be able to afford to go anywhere, and we'll all have to go to bed by 8pm to keep warm.

Yes because it's warmer there

I've just been talking to my parents about "cancelling Christmas".

None of us will be able to afford the expense of presents and travel or having guests when we know we have a £700 energy bill to pay in January. We definitely won't be having a Boxing Day meal out. We probably won't even put the Christmas lights up this year.

Merry Fucking Christmas to us.

I'm sure most people will either cancel or have a tiny Christmas this year.

I actaully feel sick with worry. Our fuel bills are going to rise from £1,500 last year to £5,500 this year - I have no idea where we are going to find an additional £4,000 from. We aren't hard up but this is just ridiculous. We'll all have to tighten our belts which will mean the economy with tank even further. I just don't understand how Centrica and Shell continue to make such huge profits, I'm stupid but I just don't get how it all works.

Many people will struggle to pay bills but I do think the media is whipping people up into a frenzy. The already struggling will be the worst affected. Come Christmas the shops will be busy and a lot of people will be spending. I work in a supermarket and over the hot weather people were stripping the shelves of alcohol and barbecue food. A few months ago it was the cost of fuel and people have got over that so life goes on and the next big issue will come along and be the focus.

Ours is quite high anyway but we have reduced our usage already and will be able to reduce more this winter. They put ours up by £100 in June but then gave me £650 refund. I'm so confused and dreading the new DD. Just gone on to a smart meter on Wednesday.

I couldn’t agree more. Why are we so stupid here?

Absolutely this 👆 Also, on the subject of ‘real fires’, log burners etc. I understand that at a time like this people’s priority is to be able to keep warm, but they are awful for the environment!