Discontent #7 food, energy, transport, cost of living, society etc

[ordinaryjelly]

Sorry if this has been asked, but what are people's experiences with weighted blankets (the ones with glass beads)? Are they warmer/ do you sleep better with them? And does it matter if it's cotton/ polyester? Thanks!

I love mine. I think it does make it warmer just because it traps your body heat in.

I would go for cotton over polyester, but I got a linen one and it is a hundred times nicer than my cotton one.

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Eon have told me my direct debit needs to go from £168 a month to £3,921.

So that is lovely.

I called them and they aren't sure why the estimate is so high but they would look into it, but we must pay while they look into it. I told them they can look into it first.

 

[zoominmoom]

I fully accept that I'm a moaning minnie who's never happy, but this announcement about freezing energy bills has annoyed me. Not the freezing energy bills itself, but the fact that they've left the country floundering and panicking for two months while they've done bugger all, while behind the scenes they were probably planning this all along to give a quick and easy boost for whoever became PM.

They could have announced this months ago and saved many people the trouble of sleepless nights. I'd be more than a bit peeved if I'd locked myself into an expensive fix over the past few weeks (which I was considering but my provider has stopped offering fixes so that choice was taken out of my hands!) and now they're expected to freeze the cap.

Edited to add that this doesn't mean I won't welcome a freeze with open arms if one is introduced

 

[jackolantern]

I'm dreading winter. Our house gets down to 6 degrees (day) in Jan/Feb and for the rest of the time it sits between 8-12. It's already down to 15 from our summer highs of 18 (lol) and I can feel the difference so much, I've had to put the heating on which we can't afford because oil prices are astronomical these days. Usually we'd just suffer it out but we have a baby now and can't do that anymore. Honestly don't know what we are going to do. We spend a good £500+ more per month now than we make and debt is just mounting, but what can you do? Fuck all. I've said it before but it really does feel like they are pricing everyone out of life to achieve that "You'll own nothing and be happy" vibe. It makes me so upset because I want so badly for our little boy to have things like his own decorated room and I know that sounds so daft in the scheme of things but we won't ever be able to give him that because we are struggling so much to just stay afloat nevermind earn extra to be able to get our own home. It all just feels pointless now. You work your life away to have the bare minimum and barely see your loved ones. It's not living.

 

[Blond3g1rl]

Probably exactly this as always! Really dangerous territory to hype it up and then single people out as being able to afford things each time. For a society that is supposedly so against discrimination there sure is always a lot of discrimination going on! Like the constant mention of “struggling families” how about just struggling PEOPLE which then includes everyone ?!

It is also dangerous to base it just on earnings. There is a point where 2 people on a low wage will have a higher net pay than one person on a higher wage.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

Putting my CT hat on. are they trying to scare people into doing something silly? While at the same time trying to stop people cancelling their DD? Trying to get people out on the streets in protests?


‘A winter catastrophe is coming’: Prepay meter customers set to be slammed with £700 a month energy bills

Prepay meter customers set to be slammed with £700 a month energy bills

Millions of households across the UK face fuel poverty this winter.

metro.co.uk

..



This last two generations are the only ones who grew up with heating. generation after generation coped before central heating and they didn't have the really lovely warm fabrics we get these days.

I grew up without heating, no carpets and a outside loo. Don't let the media make you believe you cannot cope. They are installing fear...... once again!

 

[MissTeddy]

That's what I am saying.

It couldn't happen in NHS or other public sector so who pays? The employees.

No one pays - sack it off, if times are tight, you’re all adults - no one needs a birthday present from work to feel validated. Sure it’s nice to have but no way should employese be stretching their pennies over it.

 

[Princesst]

Squeezed middle being shafted again most likely

Probably exactly this as always! Really dangerous territory to hype it up and then single people out as being able to afford things each time. For a society that is supposedly so against discrimination there sure is always a lot of discrimination going on! Like the constant mention of “struggling families” how about just struggling PEOPLE which then includes everyone ?!

 

[MissTeddy]

I’m not sure what industry you work in but it’s absolutely not the employees job to fund retirement gifts etc. Everywhere I’ve ever worked the pool comes from management. Im horrified and astonished at the amounts you’re expected to contribute !

 

[Anne1448]

Most of all that I’m one of those millennials whose living standards are lower than those of my parents, who were less educated (not a dig) than me and did lots better.
Sorry, just needed to vent!

As a millennial myself I'm with you on this.

My parents are teachers and accountants yet they own multiple properties. I work for a massive US tech company and I can't even afford to buy a house in the countryside nor rent in the city centre.

I feel like I'm working for a worse quality of life every day.

 

[wideopenspace]

I think if the energy freeze is announced it will be for the same groups that benefited from the cost of the living payments. It doesn’t say for everyone just ‘millions’.

I really hope that's not the case. What about those on low incomes but not entitled to benefits? Teaching assistants living alone are not entitled to any benefits. Schools can't even fill the vacancies because no one unless financially supported by a partner etc can afford to live on the salary.

The other thing is those on better wages still need to make cut backs which will mean less trips to the pub, shops etc so less money in the economy. Everyone I know is planning to stop or limiting socialising outside the house. What happens to the leisure industry? It'll mean more people losing their jobs.

What about companies who can't afford their energy bills so are closing? Again more people losing their jobs.

 

[bozlem3080]

I’ve not paid my mobile phone bill, me & my son have a joint one, he txt last night to say his phone is restricted, I was too embarrassed to tell him I’ve not paid, made up some shit to say the DD failed as changed banks, I’m on JSA so it’s basically a weeks worth of that for both bills, my son has a job & has never offered to pay towards the bill now I’m in tears because I have £20 to last me 12 days, I’m trying desperately to sell possessions in my house just to pay for things, don’t know what I’m going to do, sorry for the rant x

 

[monga]

it will be more of the same old shite while telling us they are sorry but need to clean up the mess the previous leader left.

Even Larry’s in the doldrums

 

[candyland_]

I think if the energy freeze is announced it will be for the same groups that benefited from the cost of the living payments. It doesn’t say for everyone just ‘millions’.

 

[Tatooine_legend1]

I always think we have it bad at the moment, but then I look towards Pakistan and other developing countries suffering from awful natural disasters, then I have to remember things could be so much worse. No doubt it will be bad though, especially for those who don't have much money to feed their families.

 

[Some People!]

Oh you've reminded me our office is like a fridge in the winter.

I have fingerless gloves in my drawer at work for typing in the winter and lots of the girls in the office have a pashmina on the back of their chair that they wrap around themselves when it's cold. Love looking like a victorian tramp at my desk

 

[JoJo76]

I’ve not paid my mobile phone bill, me & my son have a joint one, he txt last night to say his phone is restricted, I was too embarrassed to tell him I’ve not paid, made up some shit to say the DD failed as changed banks, I’m on JSA so it’s basically a weeks worth of that for both bills, my son has a job & has never offered to pay towards the bill now I’m in tears because I have £20 to last me 12 days, I’m trying desperately to sell possessions in my house just to pay for things, don’t know what I’m going to do, sorry for the rant x

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling so much. You need to have a chat with your son though, it's not fair for you to shoulder the full cost. And don't be scared to be truthful with him, it's nothing to be ashamed of x

 

[Fenella]

Those with kids at secondary, are the trips pricey? Had a letter home and the first trip is almost our weekly food budget

Not a compulsory trip obviously but £1300 for US trip came through this week, Friday to Monday, food not included. Thankfully my child not interested but it felt incredibly tone deaf to be sending it out now as we live in a hugely deprived area.

 

[Thank(space)you]

I think as adults we don't care about value packaging, but kids do. It's the same with branded clothes etc.
However you do what you gotta do to ensure your family is fed. I remember as a child being mortified my mum shopped in lidl but now I love lidl.

I am sick of everyone posting on social media the stuff they've bought from the value range at asda. The hype is weird IMO

 

[Cantthinkofausername]

Russia have been known to use fake accounts on social media to push their viewpoint or try to undermine other countries (to make themselves stronger), there was interference in Brexit and in America with Trump etc- it's in their interest to divide other countries, as they think it weakens them and makes Russia stronger, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of the comments come from them.

Ukraine are having a much harder time than the UK, they are in the middle of a war, that doesn't take away from the problems we are having in the UK, it still isn't great here and it is ok to say that too. Don't let the media divide into either/or.

We should also remember that Ukranians did not have a particularly high standard of living to begin with, probably below what most British people are used to.
Putin thinks that most Europeans will not be able to handle any degree of hardship and we will only stand behind Ukraine when it doesn't affect us.Personally I'm ready to prove him wrong. I will not be moaning no matter how cold it gets.

 

[jackolantern]

I have no idea how people afford these kind of rental prices and then all their bills on top. I rent and pay £625 a month (I’m single). I’m very lucky as I live in a nice house and am paying below current rental market value. I just couldn’t afford the kind of prices you mention, even though I’m on what I would class as a decent salary. I hope prices drop, because if I had to move out of my current house, I would be stuffed. It worries me.

Bloody terrifying isn't it. Our rent is £750 and £250 council tax so we lose a grand before we even get started. House is a fucking dump and when we first moved here it had been on the market 6 months with noone interested. Was slightly above the average area price but worth it for detached/garden. Stayed the same in the area until the pandemic, now that everyone wants to live in the country the minimum prices here are at least £1200. We desperately want to move but can't afford to and we are just sat waiting for the day the landlord clocks on and ups our rent. I think we've been 'lucky' because he is a lazy twat and refuses to do repairs and we are easy tenants and I think he knows he's got it good so doesn't push us, but houses are in such demand now he'd probably get a new tenant within days if he booted us. Even in this condition. Such a fucking sorry state of affairs.

Joke is noone would accept us for a mortgage for 1/3 or even 1/2 of the price even though we've been paying this for 8 years and not defaulted once. They don't want 'normal' people to own anything.