If things get tougher?

oldMcDonald

Story on BBC regarding the price of electric and gas and how it is set to rise even more ( BBC claiming 40%!)

LINK

Wasn't there a thread running a while ago about ways to cut down on Gas / Electricity useage?

*off to have a look
Found it: Avoid using gas and electric this winter

Think I'm going to sit down with a coffe and make some notes from this thread, along with the one above. Get everything sorted over the summer, ready for winter.

EDIT - Also found this one which may have some helpful ideas

Preparing for winter 2007

[Deleted User]

I have just re-read the thread from the beginning and it tells a story of a slide and how we cope with it on a day to day level. Looking back, we are all a lot worse off than in feb 2006. We are, mostly, still keeping going but many people are hanging on by their fingernails

As I see it: if income has remained the same then savings must come from cutting down ie on travel, food, energy, clothes, household shopping. There is a limit as to how far we can cut down and it has to be prioritised. Each to his own as we all have different needs

Personally, for now, my cutting down is via energy costs, travel and food. I am reverting to making the meat stretch much further and going back to vegetarian foods

I am also getting acclimatised to cooler weather ready for autumn. This time 2 years ago I would have turned the heating on in the evenings if it was chilly, like today

wigglebeena

I will:

Stop falling asleep on the sofa with the telly on (use the auto turn-off timing button).
Eat more beans (toot!). Pea soup, baked beans, lentil soup, veggie chilli... cheap cheap cheap.
Grow everything and anything edible I possibly can.
Buy what's cheap and good to eat, rather than making a set shopping list beforehand.
Consider getting rid of the car.
Find a job nearer home.

[Deleted User]

Well along with higher food prices the BBC have said that we will all be faced with higher energy charges .How will we all cope and what will you all do to save even more cash. If the belts get any tighter they will meet in the middle soon.lets hope we have a warm winter ,a cold snap will mean a lot of hardship for lots of people I think

Pink.

Hi Jackie,

It's frightening isn't it.

There's a current thread where other Old Stylers are discussing this so I've added your post to it to keep all the replies together.

Pink

mandi

JackieO wrote: »

Well along with higher food prices the BBC have said that we will all be faced with higher energy charges .How will we all cope and what will you all do to save even more cash. If the belts get any tighter they will meet in the middle soon.lets hope we have a warm winter ,a cold snap will mean a lot of hardship for lots of people I think

I cant bear to listen to the news at the moment ...

Im astonished at the rate food/petrol have gone up so fast recently ..

and the whole thing is REALLY starting to get me down ... I cant see any light at the end of the tunnel ... Im sure im not alone , but its just totally depressing ..




Mandi

[Deleted User]

mandi. you aren`t alone re the general air of depression. Its even getting to me now and I am bubbly and smiley and `never` get depressed. The news has got a lot to answer for, it`s like they want to rub salt into the wounds

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I got up and turned on the news this morning and thought I was back in the late 70s.What with all the talk of rising this and falling that.Threats of strikes and no doubt a wage freeze will happen again like it did then.
I think it's going to be a long time before we see an improvement.

sammy_kaye18

hi all

am an avid reader of the avoid using gas and electric thread already adn the preparing for 2007 - have made my notes and will be putting them all to good use this winter.

We are struggling at the minute with no fuel near us for the car (whch bf needs to be able to get to and from work) plus the energy prices set to go up again and we have been having power cuts left right and centre here lately - why ive no idea we jsut seem to be getting them alot.

I think i shall be stokcing up my food cupboard asap and making sure i look into all the money saving/energy saving things i cna to get us through this winter

piptiddlepip

I'm training up towards cycling the entire way to work. That will knock off my slight belly and save on petrol. Also whenever I see a possible source of firewood, I nab it, cut it up and I've got a big bag of logs in my shed, and more coming to join them shortly. We have an electric blanket to warm the bed if it's REALLY cold this winter, but that will only be allowed on for a little while (20 mins) - would rather have a hot water bottle and it lasts all night.

I also bought a working mangle for £50 off Ebay and am now handwashing most things and only occasionally using the washing machine. With the summer sun drying the washing I'm saving a bundle, but I don't know what we'll do when winter comes - dry them by the fire, probably!

I'm also growing lots of veg - tomatoes and onions - and plan on learning bottling, so I can get some of my produce stored up in jars!

What I'll do if I lose my job god only knows, but I've done all I can to cut down.