It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Rosa_Damascena

enkeltliv said:

Woolsery said:

greenbee said:

I have a friend who specialises in sustainability for historic buildings - there's a lot that's possible in terms of retrofitting, but it needs to be done properly. I'm currently looking for a new house, and she's come up with affordable, sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for everything I've looked at. Having help from someone who knows what they're doing has been eye-opening - particularly in checking the misinformation others have provided (she's able to give me transparent pricing that mean I can challenge what I'm being told - and helps me challenge the BS). 

Being an old cynic, I think the current energy crisis is being allowed to happen as a motivator for change. You and I may navigate through it successfully because we have some modest resources and the ability to seek out the relevant info, but my concern is for the majority, not in such a fortunate position.

As I said earlier, those who can, will install things like solar arrays, batteries and heat stores to lower their bills, but that isn't possible for those on lower incomes.

Being cynical facilitates a full spectrum of thought processing. My cynicism takes me to similar places. I think the Powers are clapping their hands that they have a society that understands the price rises are because of waring atrocities. However, these hikes were happening anyway, they've been compounded, yes, but happening. 

What annoys me is that people are so ready to moan about their lot - I heard a man complaining about supermarket quantity restrictions on the purchase of cooking oil on a national news bulletin this afternoon - and showing no empathy for the thousands who have died in the war and many millions who have fled, or remain in genuine fear of their lives.

arnoldy

YorksLass said:

Once new gas boilers are banned it will be interesting to see how cash strapped councils cope with alternative heating for their housing stock since it's their responsibility to provide adequate and affordable heating for their tenants.  

Oh gawd, so I have to pay for unaffordable heat pumps twice, mine and someone else's with my council tax! On a more serious note plenty of fat and waste to cut out of councils first, a quick scan of the Guardian jobs page will confirm a plethora of high paid, final salary pensionable, non front line jobs.

YorksLass

Rosa_Damascena said:

YorksLass said:

Once new gas boilers are banned it will be interesting to see how cash strapped councils cope with alternative heating for their housing stock since it's their responsibility to provide adequate and affordable heating for their tenants.  Somehow I don't think they will relish the thought of spending money on expensive heat source pumps.

It will come council tax revenue! Although by the time it happens there will be huge economies of scale, much like electric cars (far too expensive at the moment). 

arnoldy said:

Oh gawd, so I have to pay for unaffordable heat pumps twice, mine and someone else's with my council tax! On a more serious note plenty of fat and waste to cut out of councils first, a quick scan of the Guardian jobs page will confirm a plethora of high paid, final salary pensionable, non front line jobs.

I have no idea, it was just idle curiosity on my part.  Perhaps the Grubbyment may give councils extra cash, although I doubt that.  Whichever way, Joe Public will end up funding it, be it CT, income tax or any other tax you can think of - maybe even a new tax!  The way things are right now, it will be a long way down the line anyway.

And yes, I agree on your point about council (and Government) waste, not to mention too many needless vanity projects.  As always, too many chiefs and not Indians.

Woolsery

Councils cannot police the laws they already have in place, so let's not worry unduly about those which are threatened for the very uncertain future. It's likely there will be different priorities by this year's end; food security being one of them. I forsee clamour for more allotments, which would be no bad thing.

otb666

i would think the councils, as alternative to gas, will put electric on peak heating in (cheap to install expensive to run)and in turn the electric companies will install PAYG meters leaving the poor not being able to afford to heat unless they switch to food banks

London_1

Hi chums well I'm still eating my way through my freezer and cupboards at the moment. keep finding things I had forgotten about I have a lobby between my kitchen and downstairs bathroom which I delved into this afternoon and found all sorts of things. Main thing being two tins of shortbread biscuits given to me as separate Christmas presents that I had put in there last Christmas. Also a tin of crackers for cheese ,also a Christmas gift. So lots of biscuits, I have some nice blue cheese in the fridge so the crackers will come in handy.

I have managed to stay away from the shops this week and hopefully no need to shop next week either. I still have two packs of apples in the bottom of the fridge in the veg drawer and enough carrots and potatoes to last through next week. So aeither a pie or crumble looks a possibility during the week for puddings.

Shopping less at the moment, which is a good thing and my purse is firmly shut. I saw the item about cooking oil , but I don't use a great deal ,preferring to use either olive oil instead. Plus at a pinch I have lard in the fridge or some of the fry spray stuff. I have been saving any fat from lamb chops in a small dish in the fridge for just small amounts for frying , but again I don't use a great deal normally.

Tomorrow I shall be chacking my flour, sugar stocks as I do quite a bit of baking on a Sunday morning as a rule

My duel fuel or this month was not too bad at £62 for the month as less heating needed as the weather has been warmer

JackieO xx

otb666

I also save my fat in a mug and use instead of oil.  Had my first quarterly bill for gas and electric 700 estimated I will check reads tomorrow went from being 500 cr to 200 dr.  I fixed earlier on on same prices as current SVT. Really bring home what we can all expect going forward.  Paying 200pm Glad i am fixed til feb 2024 albeit worse off with 3 months extra if you know what i mean

Onebrokelady

A housing society is building two lots of housing on my road, some are social housing for rent and the rest are shared ownership, they all have solar panels on the roof. Out local council have also just installed electric vehicle charging points at various locations across the city, there are two on my road 

nannygladys

I've noticed that I actually don't use much g&e, but the standing charge on both are extortionate so my useage looks as if it has gone up by heaps!! I've really cut down and already have solar panels and I'm not sure how I can get it any lower, I haven't had heating on since February, so not sure what's going to happen this winter coming. It seems crazy that the standing charges have gone up by such a lot.

Rosa_Damascena

nannygladys said:

I've noticed that I actually don't use much g&e, but the standing charge on both are extortionate so my useage looks as if it has gone up by heaps!! I've really cut down and already have solar panels and I'm not sure how I can get it any lower, I haven't had heating on since February, so not sure what's going to happen this winter coming. It seems crazy that the standing charges have gone up by such a lot.

Ditto moi, but ultimately we're all paying for the price of competition (catch up on C4's Despatches).

Adam Smith would be having a fit if he could see free market economics today.