Preparing for Winter V

Fiona236

Wombled a load of plastic sheeting out a skip to make pooshkas cat shelter more waterproof, and emailed about a neutering voucher. 

Fiona236

Finished daughters couch quilt. 3 pillowcases long with sides, fleece backed.
https://ibb.co/x6D1T1q

Cats protection are going to cover full cost of pooshkas neutering yay 

Si_Clist

Gosh.  It seems that the wholesale gas price goes up so fertiliser factories cut back production, which means less carbon dioxide being produced as a byproduct, and abbatoirs need lots of that for stunning animals.  So they cut back on the number coming in, which means pig farmers start accumulating pigs on the farm.  Pigs keep getting bigger, they go out of spec for the supermarkets, so before long they have to start killing them on the farm and burying them.  Same goes for poultry to some extent.

If you must have your pork and your bacon, maybe now's the time to mug up on home butchering and find yourself an obliging pig farmer who's amenable to a swift cash transaction?

[Deleted User]

I for one am very worried about the increasing energy prices. I need to start boiling water atop my woodburner, and cooking what I can on there.

Despite being approx. £35 in credit, my energy supplier emailed me yesterday saying "you are behind where we think you should be, make a one off payment of £168 now so you are all set for winter". They don't realise the heating won't be on here unless necessary, we will rely on woodburning and manage. My income is about to reduce greatly due to health reasons - there is no scope to spend more, at all. Sorry for the miserable post, no-one in RL that I know seems to know or care about these things and look at me strangely when I express concern.

Si_Clist

Deleted_User said:

... no-one in RL that I know seems to know or care about these things and look at me strangely when I express concern.

Don't worry about it.  Developing the habits of thrift and frugality now, either from choice or necessity, is going to stand you in good stead when the SHTF, as it's undoubtedly going to do this winter.  If they're like the ones in this neck of the woods, those who look at you funny are the ones with the massive cars they won't be able to get fuel for, the £20,000 kitchens with nothing either in the cupboards or in Waitrose, and the expensive houses that'll slowly be getting colder and colder ...

Let 'em get on with it, and look after #1

Living_proof

@Deleted_User I can imagine just how you feel. I had a 2yr fixed rate dual fuel at £45 a month which expired in May and prices had risen so much that to renew was £74. This was the best rate at the time and I took it up. With the recent increases it would now be £104 month. This would be a crushing increase for a low paid family and just where does that money come from? You must be very thankful you have a wood burner. 

Floss

@Deleted_User I'm single, live in a 14 yo mid townhouse and have £95 credit on my fixed dual fuel account. My supplier want to increase my payments by 50% to cover what they think I will use. Its frustrating as I gave them my consumption for the previous 12 months which ran May to May 2020-21, so included all the time I had to wfh with the heating on part of the day.

Uniscots97

Deleted_User said:

I for one am very worried about the increasing energy prices. I need to start boiling water atop my woodburner, and cooking what I can on there.

Despite being approx. £35 in credit, my energy supplier emailed me yesterday saying "you are behind where we think you should be, make a one off payment of £168 now so you are all set for winter". They don't realise the heating won't be on here unless necessary, we will rely on woodburning and manage. My income is about to reduce greatly due to health reasons - there is no scope to spend more, at all. Sorry for the miserable post, no-one in RL that I know seems to know or care about these things and look at me strangely when I express concern.

Maybe start looking at the receipt scanning apps and survey apps to get you a little extra. Anyone that doesn't worry about it is just sticking their head in the sand! 

[Deleted User]

Thank you guys, you have made me feel better already and less alone. I am so so careful with our energy use - our gas bill is consistently more in standing charge than actual usage. I try my best with electricity, but with two young children I have uniforms, bedding, football kits etc all to wash, and meals to make. If I was alone, I would live on food that didn't need to be oven cooked. I use my slow cooker wherever possible, and when the children are in bed I don't put the TV on if I want to watch something, I use the iPad instead. The kettle is boiled once and I use a flask all day. No TD. 

As you say LP, where is the money to come from? 

Primrose

I read  in the paper this morning that on Monday alone of this week electricity prices in the UK surged to 11 times above normal levels. - a record high caused by a crunch in the gas supply chain and a lack of wind to power renewable wind turbines.

Clearly the consequences of this will impact on everybody , especially those with low incomes.

Would it help if we all shared our 'one liner' hints for reducing power consumption as much as possible, even if the ideas may seem a bit "off the wall"  Somebody may find them useful.

Mine for starters:
- Thermal underwear and clothes layering indoors.
- Batch cooking, especially soups & casserole dishes to reduce fuel consumption
- Wear clothes an extra day where possible to reduce washing machine energy use

- Turn off heating an hour earlier & go to bed earlier!