Struggling along as best I can

KxMx

Looks like good news about the Pension Credit - even a small amount is worth having as it can open doors to additional help like Cost of Living payment, extra Council Tax Reduction, Warm Home Discount (possibly too late for this year but next certainly) etc.

Another poster on the benefits board didn't think it was worth their daughter claiming UC because the award would be very small, they didn't realise all the extra help that made her entitled to.

Placido6536

Hello. 

Could you answer some questions for me please.

I would specifically like to know if it will be cheaper for me to have the central heating on constantly with the thermostat at a lowish temperature of around 16 degrees, compared to putting the central heating on twice a day for an hour each but at a higher temperature of around 19 degrees. I have been told that the former would be the cheaper option but wanted to check with you. 

My hot water currently comes on twice a day for 45 minutes each time. Is this an efficient way of heating my water?

I would also like general advice on the best way of keeping my gas and electricity bills down.

Thank you

Mark

nannygladys

I've just been to update my grocery spends and they've disappeared 🙁
I know I'm still within budget as there is still money in my grocery purse, I can't be bothered counting what's in there tonight so I will be leaving it as it is. It's time to rework the budgets for next year I suppose 🙁 I think I'll do that with a stiff drink in hand. I really want the canopy next year, mind you I haven't got any leaks from all the rain we have been getting but I have a feeling I may need a new bay window as well 🙁

nannygladys

KxMx - i received a letter today from DWP and it is pension credit - yay, but not the guarantee credit but the saving credit, I'm not sure if that makes any difference to anything as I haven't looked yet as I've been grandma sitting my dgs at their house all day, and it is a really 'small' amount but I'm grateful for anything at the moment, so I'll be be finding out over the next few days if I can apply for help with the dentist, council tax etc I may even be able to buy myself a bottle of something for over Xmas😀 I'm really just very happy about it

nannygladys

Mark - you're asking the wrong person about heating etc I very rarely put mine on, perhaps once a week at the moment and keep warm with blankets etc whilst downstairs. And as it's only me here at the moment, I only have myself to worry about - sorry.

nannygladys

I went into DDS small town this morning (with dgs), and managed to snaffle two things that have been on my 'to get'  list for ages, a plunger and a vinegar sprinkler bottle, the ones that you fill up yourself!!!! There is an old fashioned iron mongers there which is one of those shops that seems to sell everything (a bit like the two Ronnie's fork handles shop!!) And they were quite cheap as well, so well pleased 😀and that's the only money I spent, oh no it wasn't I treated me & dgs to some chips to eat in the church gardens, anyway the grand total was £6 in the ironmongers and £2 for the chips!! I'll start my signature again when I get paid as my numbers disappeared.
Not much else has happened, I'm making a door curtain out of 5" squares, using most of my material up and it looks ok which is surprising as all the material is different and most doesn't blend together, I'm hoping to finish it over the weekend as I just have to back it and find a pole and some cup hooks to hang it up and I do know I have both of the latter somewhere soit's just finding them that's the problem 🤣 so I will call it a day. Made a leek and mushroom risotto for my tea when I got in and I think I will go and make another coffee and have a mincepi

Nannyg 

nannygladys

So what I have I been doing this last week, well not a lot really! I went out on Wednesday with eldest DD and dgds to an event after school, it was very cold but we enjoyed it even if it was outside😃 and that was it really, I tried not to go out spending although I finally spent my Iceland voucher (thank you Iceland) so the freezer is looking full again and I only spent a little above it, so win win there, and did a shop at Tesco with a voucher and only spent up to the amount to get the max off that as well, I had to spend £40 pounds but got £6 off but I found quite a bit of ys stuff and some other reduced stuff as well, so that was also a win. Other than that I've only been out dgs sitting yesterday.  
It's been very cold here, well it's been cold everywhere and the heating has been on, but this morning there was ice inside on my bathroom window!!!!!!!!! It's double glazed!!!!!! I can remember windows icing up when I was little and when my dds were small but it was all single glazing then, the pipes were all ok though thank goodness and the heating went on pretty sharpish 🙂
I've been paid today and received the cold weather payment of £25 as well as my first proper pension credit amount, I had a look at dental care cost help but it doesn't apply to the kind of pension credit I receive! I sent a message to our local council asking about council tax help but they haven't got back to me just acknowledged they had received the enquiry so I'm waiting with bated breathe 😃 it's my largest bill, (more so than the g&e) and that's with the single persons discount! So budgets redone, and I have allowed more for food going into 2023, which the pension credit is going towards - the extra £6 a week I'm getting!!!!! But it all helps and as there's only me, if I'm careful I can get quite a lot so I reckon it should make quite a difference, but at the moment I'm concentrating on getting through this cold snap and Xmas. My middle dd is coming with her family to stay with me for Xmas but she has said they will pay for food and heat, I think the heating will be a bit of a shock to them as they only need it occasionally but the food prices are similar but they will be probably go overboard as there's lots they can't get where they live, or it's very expensive eg marmite!!!!!!
Anyway just waffling along so I'll go now, take care, try to to keep warm and my heart goes out to you if your badly affected by snow, ice and electric outrages.🙁
Nannyg 

nannygladys

Well here I am sitting down admiring my Xmas tree that the dgds decorated for me today,  just browsing along on the internet and I go into my emails, just like I do most nights and there waiting for me was an email telling me my DD for electricity is going up in January, that's puts a right downer on me, just when I thought things were looking a bit better with the pension credit, the elec co want me to give it all to them - instead of helping me, I'm really getting fed up with it all now and getting to the stage of telling them where to stick their bills. Rant over.

kayannie

I know just how you feel. If ever I get a bit of extra money, some unexpected expense always comes along to take it!
 KA 

cbsexec

Are you in credit?   I don’t think you have to accept the increase in your direct debit if you are.