The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

Possession

Oh Cornish, I'm sorry you were forced to have that conversation. Feels like the country is being run by madmen sometimes doesn't it.
Thanks for that link Princess. And on the slow cooker front I have just put baked apples in mine, from when I managed to get a huge bag of Bramleys from a local farm shop for 75p. Might go back this weekend and see if they have more, as both my children love stewed apples and it's a good pud with a pack of value custard.

shegar

Pooky wrote: »

Shegar - do you not recieve the "warm home discount" ? It's paid direct to your energy supplier (around £140 per year). You have to apply for it each year but all they need is proof of qualifying benefit (DLA etc). It's very helpful.

And check you're on your water companies "social tarrif" (or whatever they call it) if you're eligible. We're on a meter but as DHs issues come under their list of inclusions we get the water bill capped each year. It's nearly half of our metered useage so it's a huge help.

Yes we get a £100 off of our dual fuel account each January for being disabled............Im going to phone them in few mins to see if they can cap our bills, seems one way of of not getting higher bills as when its capped it cant go up for that time period...........

We are on a water metre, which isnt too bad at all, normally we get a 6 monthly bill for about £130, then get the sewerage bill for about the same , so for water and sewerage its about £260 for 6 months , which is excellent , I think I use a lot of water really , 2 showers daily , 3 baths a weeks, washing machine most days, summer time I use quite a lot in the garden, so I think its very reasonable, always noticed how cheap our bills are here in East Anglia when I read other parts of the country.........Yet we dont get much rain at all ..........

I think most people are trying their very hardest to cut back on household bills again this year , but its like it every year , we say " right ive got to cut down more this year", but its impossible to find many more ways to cut back.............

Energy ministers say the same thing every year about our bills, they say insulate your loft, heat one room,DG, shut curtains early, use a water bottle , well to be honest I done all that lot years ago , like many of you have to, theres nothing more you can do , apart from not use your gas or electric, then we will save .........:mad: SOS (same old sh*t), thats what I say.......:mad:....So whos got their heating now?, or fire alight.?....... We have very high winds today and rain ...............Sheila

Nargleblast

We put our central heating on last week, which is an improvement on last year when it was switched on in September. The thermostat is set to about 19 degrees which is comfortable enough at the present, and the heating is on from 0600 to 0900 and then again 1700 to 2200hrs. Between those times there are room heaters if needed. And I keep a check on our meter readings to see what we are using.

nuttyp

OH rang to ask if I had the heating on, no im in the comfy armchair. I have a fleece wrapped around me and I have a cup of tea. He was cross that I hadn't used it. TBH sometimes I wonder if he realises how expensive it is.

It will be on low for when he and DD gets home, and we have a cooked tea. Have done leeks, potatoes, carrots and left over sausages and lamb burgers. They were odds n ends in the freezer.

I went to the local farm to ask about buying potatoes direct, a whole sack is £2.50 for lumps - large potaotes or normal will be £7.00 So I have asked for 2 bags of lumps. One potatoe is enough for my whole families tea!! Considering mr t sell 1kg for about £2, its a bargain.

Pooky

PRINCESSX87 wrote: »

Didn't think you got the warm front grant if you claim DLA.

DLA is one of the qualifying benefits if combined with others. (not sure if it varies between energy providers).

Worth checking your energy companies website for details or give them a call for clarification.

Our price plan is up for renewal next week so I've just signed up for a two year fix. According to our "usage guide" we're using less than half the power than other homes in our area of the same size. :T

Possession

Just hypothetically, if you had taken your child out of the country without your partner's permission 10 years ago (officially classed as abduction), and were therefore on Interpol records and would be arrested if you came back into the country, how could you then be living here under another name? If you changed your name in another country, how would you get a passport under the new name? How would you get your children passports under a new name? Just wondering.

katieowl_2

I seem to have lost a post I put on here earlier...maybe I'm cracking up???

Had a good old shout myself about the fuel rises. I think I probably should just go and buy a money tree? Does anyone know if they sell them in B&Q or should I try E-bay? I think if I plant it now, I may get a few £££ off it by Christmas if I feed it lots of manure...otherwise known as BS from the government.

I popped round to younger DD's this morning for tea, and the other DD was there too. Older DD is having a crisis with her BF very sad, she's not coping well, wish there was something useful I could do or say, but they've just got to sort it and move on. If there was one piece of advice I think I'd give, it would be if it's broken, don't try and fix it, because its never the same again, but she's not in a place to hear that...

The sproglet was asleep the whole time I was there, so I played with the doglet instead!

DD, sproglet and I are going shopping tomorrow, so compiling a list, checking cupboards and racking my brains to make sure I don't forget anything crucial. Also tracking down vouchers/offers before we go!

DS is going out tonight, so placed his order for leftovers (Stir fry and noodles) last night. OH & I are eating leftover curry... Saving lots of money by making them eat leftovers...even if it means I have to give everyone something different. The leftover curry has been stretched to feed two, by having leftover pasty filling added to it, I'll just pop on some fresh rice. Not every meal has to be a gourmet feast is my new motto.

Kate

ArthriticOldThing

Good afternoon to everyone.

I dare not put the heating on until I must. There is just me and fortunately I am a warm bod who has been known to have open veranda doors or windows while snow is on the ground but even if I wasn't I could not afford to run the CH very much. I have only a widows pension from my late OH to manage on and am not entitled to any benefits so its extra layers for me. When it does have to go on it will be one room only and for as short a time as possible.

Pops, I agree with others, please get yourself checked out asap - don't leave it til you are really ill. By the way, I'm another who only washes when have a full load. :eek:

Am having a lazy afternoon as rushed around enough this morning.

Pooky

Possession wrote: »

Just hypothetically, if you had taken your child out of the country without your partner's permission 10 years ago (officially classed as abduction), and were therefore on Interpol records and would be arrested if you came back into the country, how could you then be living here under another name? If you changed your name in another country, how would you get a passport under the new name? How would you get your children passports under a new name? Just wondering.

I've no idea but I'm now wondering what you've been up to young lady!!!!

FairyPrincessk

Evening all,

Its been a tough week. I, too, am cross about the energy price rises, but not surprised. We don't have our heating on yet, although with all of the various plumber/boiler people we've had in and out and expect a high bill anyway. I've got my dressing gown on over my clothes this afternoon at my desk, and day before yesterday I was curled up with work, two hot water bottles and my laptop on the futon.

OH seems to be improving. I've been a bit scratchy, but no real cold so hopefully I've dodged it entirely. Teaching has been a bit of a disappointment today. There have been problems with our teaching rooms and there is no IT in two of mine. I'd run a lesson earlier in the week that used two videos that worked so well, so scrabbled around rest of this week trying to sort IT for today as I didn't want to do a less interesting lesson for today's students just because the Uni couldn't get their teaching rooms right. In the end only two students showed up to my first group--both very, very late and neither prepared. The next group was much better, but its still frustrating to put in all that work to make a fun, engaging and helpful lesson and have the students not bother. They don't seem to realize almost none of their 9,000 goes to me. I suspect most of them would be shocked to know that I put in about three times the number of hours I'm paid for. The thing is--I don't mind when they put in the effort, I truly love it and eventually I know I'll make a bit more money--but it is disheartening when they don't seem bothered.

Our tea tonight is a very easy and very NOT OS one--frozen fish and oven chips, but we all need a break sometimes. I'm about to settle down and do the mealplan for next week before OH gets home.

Pops, I do hope you're feeling better.

Hugs to Burtha and Cornishchick.

Princess you sound a bit brighter, so glad to see that!