So was i being too unrealistic to think I could keep the heating off, and have you caved in?

[piratecat]

It is still off in my home, but gosh it's cold today.

Upstairs is ok (boiler up here) with the hot water pipes giving off a bit of warmth. Yet downstairs is miserable.

It was ok to say, 'ooh i am going to wear fleeces etc...' when it was 12 degress, but 5 is slightly different non?

I CAN@T AFFORD IT and i feel like poo, for not being able to put it on yet.

Apparently we are in for a harsh winter, so yes, people are going to die. And it is shocking, because this is supposed to be a first-world western civilized country.

OUr heating is still off but we have used a little electric/oil heater just to take the chill off the sitting room when the children are playing the piano. They can't play with cold fingers.

I'm amazed how well we're doing, but it hasn't got really cold here in the south, yet.

Heating oil prices have gone down--they're back to what they were in May, apparently.

below freezing last night so turned it on in one room this morning. Was buggery cold last night even with duvet, blanket and PJ's and woke shivering at 5am. We don't have heating upstairs and there would be little point as the windows don't fit properly.
I'll probbaly sleep downstairs on the sofa!

Ours is on occasionally. I am being v stubborn about it though - I feel like I want to win

mines on

poor people should learn how to knit jumpers and scarfs

My mate is actually doing that!

i out mine on too

i cant cope with high tide/wind and cold house
its not normal

Not yet!!!!
Its 15.9 in here this morning and -0.4C outside. Will be a fair bit colder tonight so the winter duvets are going on.
Am determined not to put it on yet. dd is going to brownie camp on friday and this way she wont find the arctic blasts whistling through the pack holiday hall too bad

its not about being stubborn for most of us, its about not having the money to pay the bill and then ending up in debt which you can never clear. Thats what scares me.
My in-laws get cold weather payment and go on holiday with it cos they are rich yet disabled poeple under 60, who are also vunerable to the cold, get bugger all regardless of how poor they are.
I am petrified dd will die this winter - she is quadraplegic, very thin, is having surgery to insert a feeding tube so will be extra vunerable and we live in a cold damp house with badly fitting windows that I can't afford to heat.
Its shit really.

have you got a coal fire?

me? Yeah, in the front room wqhere dd will spend 99% of her time in the winter. Not fun for a 4 yo, being stuck in one room.

mines on - i started with good intentions but it is C-O-L-D

that is pretty shit really needmorecoffee

I put the gas fire n last night as a friend popped over with her baby and tought I should make the effort! but the rest of the house was freezing and IM afraid that when she left the fire went off.
They boys have got 2 duvets on each and hotties as well.
Even dh have hotties and cant believe im admitting this but we sleep with those really fluffy bed socks from peruna on.

It is cold in our house but i dont mind it too much-lots of jumpers and spare duvets/blankets on the sofas.

I can manage the cold with extra socks and jumpers. Right now I resemble a fluffy michelin man but a child with quadraplegia can't even shiver and being thin generates little body heat.

and its pissing me off. Please write to your MP's and support the bill for winter payments for disabled people.

needmorecoffee - are you eligible for warmfront?
Probably utterly patronising of me but I found this link

we had it. They mended the boiler and gave us some low energy lightbulbs. They do not replace windows or reroof and insulate your house.
Which is what we need.

then that is really pretty cr*p and useless. I don't have much spare time at moment but this has made me feel really pretty angry because it shouldnt be this way, I'll do a bit of reading later so i know what I am writing to my mp about!

Like your pil our neighbours get the winter fuel allowance. They are also eligible for a scheme where they pay a fixed price for elec and gas and can then use as much as they like. They are fit and healthy, early 60's and go on holiday several times a year.

Mine's still off and will be staying off as long as possible. Our kitchen is a mezzanine in our living room, so cooking warms up the room, and I put the tumble dryer on occasionally to heat the place up a bit so that I can dry other clothes on an airing frame. I am a knitter

Expat - you live in the Argyll area, don't you? I can imagine it's pretty cold there just now. I toured to Ardrishaig with a show in August, and it was freezing! I live in Central Scotland, and it took dh a good 15 minutes to defrost the car this morning.

I am sat here seething too in my cold house.

It is angering me, we too are in the situation that we can't afford our heating, our house is cold and damp. We both work full time and it's so disheartening to still struggle.

We are moving all 3 boys into our front bedroom together this weekend, as back one is damp, and me and dp are having smaller middle bedroom. Hopefully then at least boys room will be warmer than the back one.

Dreading tonight. We went to bed early last night as we were cold and bored.

Look into the portable oil-filled electric heaters. They are cheap to run. I have a meter which tells me how much I'm spending per hour on fuel. I've just switched the heater on to full (which you wouldn't need most of the time) and it is registering 13.2 pence per hour. It will go back to about 8p when the thermostat clicks in, or perhaps even 6p to keep the room at a reasonable temperature.

I don't think it cost that much to buy, either. I can't remember how much.

do you know, I wish I was loaded and I would send you all a big fcuk off cheque

it is a disgrace that you are all worrying about heat, it is a basic need ffs