MSE News: Poorest 'to switch heating off' if energy bills keep rising

SaraP

I was lucky enough to be able to afford a new condensing boiler in 2007. My old one dated to 1982 and had no room thermostat, nor any radiator thermostats.

So - here I am with a new, economical boiler - but I refuse to pay the gas prices these days. My home was built in 1926, with solid brick walls, drafty edge to edge floor boards and high ceilings. It's also semi detached with a large area of external walls. It takes hours to heat up.

I remember the blissful days of running the gas fire in the lounge every night and being warm and cosy. Of running the central heating 24/7 if it snowed.

These days I wear heavy duty thermal long johns and long sleeved thermal vest under fleece lined sweat pants and top, together with a heavy wool cardi over that and a blanket on my knees. I am used to typing with cold fingers - in fact I can use a mouse while wearing gloves. I have some skiing salopettes to wear if I want to feel a bit snugger. They are quite good for indoor use in cold homes.

I think I used the gas fire once last winter - when I had a cold and felt entitled to some pampering. I run the heating boiler for two hours in the morning and evening (and the hot water is on for 40 minutes twice a day). This raises the temperature in my house to around 58f. The thermostat is set to 15c. I do the washing up once a day to avoid running the hot water. A friend does hers only once every two or three days!

At the moment I COULD afford to heat if I wanted to pay for all that expensive gas. I choose not to. But as I confidently expect to become unemployed next year I will probably not be able to run the heating at all in future - which results in mildewy books, a cold damp bed, a nasty smelling house and aching joints. Ain't life grand.

FLAPJACK

Well I'm sure Her Maj will be worrying the same thing...at least we can burn the bunting afterwards.

Remember how the Queen Mum looked so well for her age..no one bar electric fire or beans on toast for that lot....still it's nice to know we are paying for them.

rinabean

It's awful, not having enough heat. It's honestly worse than not having enough food. If you can't afford enough food, you can still fill your belly once a day and feel really full, at least for a while. You never get that horrible cold out of your bones unless you can sit in a warm room or at least a bath for a few hours, and when you can only just afford enough heat to keep the mould (from the leak caused by your landlord's faulty roof repair that he refuses to even acknowledge, let alone fix...) from spreading, it's terrible. And if you are this cold, you probably don't have properly insulated walls, so you are scorching in summer, too. Dreadful.

I think some people definitely exaggerate how poor they are. It costs a lot to heat a big house, but if you've a big house you are not poor. You could heat a smaller home sufficiently. And I do think people keep their houses too warm in general. (Going to someone's 25 degree house when you're nearly used to just above freezing is weird.) Wearing winter clothes in winter is not a big deal. It's normal to need a blanket on your lap if you're sitting down in winter, and to always want a cup of tea, haha Wearing jumpers, a coat, gloves, scarf, hat, so many socks you can barely bend your ankles, two blankets over you, and STILL being too cold, that's a problem, yes! And I was "only" disabled, but young, at least. It breaks my heart that there are children and elderly people in those conditions.

rogerblack

rinabean wrote: »

It costs a lot to heat a big house, but if you've a big house you are not poor. You could heat a smaller home sufficiently.

Moving is not cheap, easy, or stress-free.

Especially for those with health or other issues - moving away from supportive neighbours and family may be impossible to contemplate without a lot of help - which is not usually available.

Assuming that because someone's got a big house that they can afford it, or move easily is problematic - as circumstances change, and people are not always free to sell.

silver_ghost

My Wife and I have been cutting back on Winter fuel bills for a few years now,even though having health problems.Last year we never had our gas fire above two bars out of four.

We never have,nor ever will use central heating,even though it is installed.We wear thermals and bodywarmes to keep warm.Use two duvets on the beds.Just keep the lounge warm with the gas fire.I have even worn a Parka in the house with woolen gloves when it has been freezing.But that gas fire stays on number two.

All light bulbs are low energy.We also use heavy lined curtains in Winter to keep the heat in.Draft excluder's around ground floor interior doors.We have double glazing which helps.

We would rather be cold than owe money.

Cardew

There are many cases of extreme poverty reported on MSE and extreme measures employed to keep warm - like the post above.

Personally I would give keeping warm priority above the need for the internet, a computer and even a phone line(just have a PAYG mobile for emergencies - no outgoing calls) TV etc.

milliemonster

When is someone going to mention the cost of heating oil? we live in a small village where there is no mains gas so we don't even have that option, we only have heating oil available which costs me on average £80 a month, and that is just for no heating on at all from April to November and then for 2-3 hrs a day max, our electric costs on top of this are also £80 a month and we don't have a huge house (a 3 bed end of terrace). Gas would be so much cheaper for us but just not an option.

It gets me when people come out with 'well just move' that maybe easier if you are renting, but not if you are an owner.

I don't know where this will end, there has to come a point where people just won't be able to afford to pay for these things anymore, there is only so much money we all have each month for everything and unless wages start going up soon, something has to give

FLAPJACK

Hi Milliemonster,

I have friends who live in an area where they have no option but to have oil.

The village they live in have banded together and approached the supplier (the only local one..monopoly!) and did a deal with him whereby they all agree to buy a minimum amount (which will in effect be more in real life).

He is guarenteed the business and they are guarenteed a cheaper price by buying in bulk.

See if you neighbours would be interested in such an idea in your area.