Discontent #8 food, energy, transport, cost of living, society etc
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I’m of an age where I remember the 70s power Cuts. it was fun as a child and we didn’t have any fancy schmancy lanterns or hundreds of candles as we all do now, we used to scramble in the dark for the long Prices candles and try to melt the bottom onto a saucer so they’d stand up! I have enough candles now to light my house fully 
. The blackouts didn’t last for long, a couple of hours at the most and I wouldn’t worry about your modern freezers as they’re now programmed to last 12-24 hours without power before food begins to defrost.
There’s so much daily scaremongering on the news about everything, they’re even now counting Covid cases again!
I'm trying my best to switch everything off, and limit our heating etc. We have a woodburner but the prices of logs has now risen dramatically.. Home Bargains logs were £3.99 per bag and now they’re £5.69 and we easily burn a bag a night! I just wish my husband would take it more seriously he just doesn’t do anything to help, he fills the kettle for 2 cups, ofetn leave the bathroom light on with fan for ages before I see it, he put the dishwasher on today half empty..I was livid! He uses tonnes of butter on toast, sandwiches, cooking..just doesn’t get it!
. The blackouts didn’t last for long, a couple of hours at the most and I wouldn’t worry about your modern freezers as they’re now programmed to last 12-24 hours without power before food begins to defrost. There’s so much daily scaremongering on the news about everything, they’re even now counting Covid cases again!
I'm trying my best to switch everything off, and limit our heating etc. We have a woodburner but the prices of logs has now risen dramatically.. Home Bargains logs were £3.99 per bag and now they’re £5.69 and we easily burn a bag a night! I just wish my husband would take it more seriously he just doesn’t do anything to help, he fills the kettle for 2 cups, ofetn leave the bathroom light on with fan for ages before I see it, he put the dishwasher on today half empty..I was livid! He uses tonnes of butter on toast, sandwiches, cooking..just doesn’t get it!
I just read it also touched northern Africa (Morocco and Algeria)... I honestly don't know anyone touched though.
Our house used £4 of electricity the other day. I don't think we used an excessive amount that day compared to others, perhaps thr prices increase is starting to show.
I've seen the winter fuel allowance will be increased to £900 this year .
I’m living on savings and drawing down my smaller pension early, no benefits because my OH is still working. We don’t live an extravagant lifestyle at all, but we seem to qualify for no help whatsoever. Not old enough to be a proper pensioner - I guess we’re the ‘squeezed middle’. It boils my pee to be giving my hard-earned pensions and savings to energy companies that are making huge profits. I’d rather give the lot directly to good causes.
On average what do you all use daily in kwh for Gas & Eleccy? Trying to figure out if we’re a high use house although I honestly don’t know what else we can cut back on. There is someone in the house 24/7. Plus teenagers flitting back and forth. I rarely use the dryer.
Always check with a benefits advisor there's billions lying unclaimed from people that are entitled to help but think they're not .
It also makes me cross when Gen X’ers call me a Boomer and tell me how lucky I’ve had it. I’ve worked bloody hard to pay off a mortgage and save, only to see the state pension age slink ever further away, while workplace pensions shrink and final salary schemes are discontinued, and living costs spiral. Interest rates have been low for most of my adult life, so saving isn’t rewarded, and now that I really need the NHS, it’s knackered. I don’t FEEL lucky….
No, I’ve checked, thanks. 40 years of tax and NI and I’m entitled to bugger all.
After a few weeks of searching, I finally found the monitor to plug in and track our energy/gas usage. I am going to try to be more mindful of my usage. On Monday's MIL is out of the house so the TV won't be on all day, kettle won't be used, I'll only use a microwave and not the hobs and I can keep the heating off.
thanks for posting, I checked the yougov site & I think Mum's Winter allowance has gone up to £500. It had already gone up to £300 so thats a nice surprise.
That's great news for your mum and lots of other pensioners they'll certainly need it .
DWP £900 Winter Fuel Payment - dates and eligibility for support
The amount you receive depends on your age as well as your living arrangements and whether you receive certain benefits
You sound like you’ve been impacted by the unfair changes they made to retirement age for WASPI women, I’m sure you’ve already heard of them but Google if not as they may have some resources that are helpful. My MIL has gone through the same and it’s an appalling set of circumstances and no one should suggest otherwise, but I don’t think we should ever ignore the monumental privilege that older generations have had wrt property.
I’m a few pages behind so this may land off-topic… i may get a few rechargeable LED lamps in case of blackout. I can’t cope in darkness!
That's reassuring and I think my Mum's will go up the same. She's disabled and near-housebound and needs the heating on a lot in winter - like so many other less able-bodied who can't move around much to keep warm.
That's reassuring and I think my Mum's will go up the same. She's disabled and near-housebound and needs the heating on a lot in winter - like so many other less able-bodied who can't move around much to keep warm.
Winter Fuel Payment
Winter Fuel Payment helps older people with their heating bills - claim form, how much you get, eligibility
I don't know my daily kwh, but I've been keeping a note of the monthly usage . If anyone is interested, my highest electric monthly kwh was 400kwh a month in winter and the lowest in summer was 290kwh. Can't remember the gas
Can I suggest battery powered string lights /lamps ,buy a pack of batteries every week , we had a random blackout and they were a lifesaver .I'm not claustrophobic but when everything is in blackness it's smothering , I was glad of my battery supply and lights at the time .I always keep stocked up they're much better than a torch .
You’re right, we have been fortunate with property, and I had an (almost) free university education, but I’ve worked hard all my life and sacrificed a lot too. I’m too young to be a WASPiE but like many, my retirement planning was absolutely stuffed by pension changes. Just making the point that it’s not ALL beer and skittles if you were born in the sixties! Still. Am living a simple and happy life now.
I have no idea but apparently there's website called loop that monitors your usage and tells you if you're a low user
So 5 September by electricity was 5807 and 6 Oct it was 6063. No idea if that's good or not. In a 2 bed Victorian terrace with a 6 year old
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