Mines combi but needs electric to run. Freezers would be off too, not sure how long they keep food frozen for while offYet they want everyone to have an electronic car which will plug into the grid
It depends on your boiler, ours is a combi so have electric back up if our tank runs out of hot water or stops working. Unless you have electric heating you should be using a gas supply.
The Winter of Discontent #2 Food, energy, transport, jobs, housing etc
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Can someone please tell me the facts? As I’ve already stated, I’m very anxious about what is going on currently.
I am panicking badly. The articles about lack of food, industry potentially having to shut down. What can I do?
I want to be prepared now. Is there anything I should buy to be prepared? Matches, more candles, blankets, batteries, torches, tinned food, camping gas stove? Please help?
I am panicking badly. The articles about lack of food, industry potentially having to shut down. What can I do?
I want to be prepared now. Is there anything I should buy to be prepared? Matches, more candles, blankets, batteries, torches, tinned food, camping gas stove? Please help?
Please can you post the link to this? I’d like to read so I know exactly how bad things could potentially get.
Someone’s just refuted it with an energy sector bigwig on Andrew Marr, who I trust more than the daily Mail lol.
Re prep - it’s very subjective, surely? I’d suggest doing anything that alleviates your anxiety.
Reading articles written by the papers is not going to help. There is no proof to any of their articles (petrol crisis is a prime example. They just drove the panicking…) all they do is write the articles to sell papers and get advertising revenue. They don’t care what truth there is in what they write.
In terms of being prepared and how bad can it get, that is all down to how prepared for something that may or may not occur your want to be. Have a few extra tins of beans in the cupboard and some matches or have enough food to last a year. Whatever makes you feel less anxious.
In terms of how bad could it get, well no food, money or electricity but let’s be honest, that is extremely unlikely. There are storages due to issues but this is being exacerbated by people panicking. You might not be able to get your normal foods, but you are not going to starve.
Take a step back, get a few extra bits in, maybe enough to last a week or so if that will make you feel better.
I think it would be sensible to have a basic stock of things like candles, batteries and tinned food.
My understanding of the electricity shortages is that it was due to a fire, so is more of a temporary issue, rather than there being a true, long term shortage. This seems to have been supported in the TV interview this morning (although I didn't watch it so I'm not sure exactly what was said).
In terms of food shortages, I believe this is twofold. Primarily there is the lack of HGV drivers, meaning the stock isn't able to be transported around. Also, the French are threatening to block ports to prevent goods leaving and entering the UK. Unfortunately this is likely to create a bit of mess and will likely lead to shortages, not just of food but of goods too.
Overall whilst the next few months could be rocky, I don't think it will be as bad as the media is suggesting.
Hopefully taking control and being prepared by having a small stock of the things you mention will alleviate some of your anxiety.
I wish I knew what to say to help reduce your anxiety but I know it's not that simple. Try not to let the worry overwhelm you if at all possible. I don't think things will get that bad as reports suggest but you'll be well prepared if they do.
I stopped reading the daily mail etc as most is just scare mongering. However, I do have a cupboard in my bedroom that has two extra packets of pasta, 4 tinned tomatoes, 4 baked beans, 4 tins of soup and a couple of tinned fruit and tinned veg. Packets of noodles and porridge oats and a couple of long life milk. It's something I do every year running up to winter, I don't drive so get online food shopping and one year the snow was bad so the van couldn't come out. I also think if I were poorly and couldn't get out at least I would have something in. It's all stuff we use anyway(apart from the long life milk) so it gets used up regardless in the end or would be donated to someone that would make use of it. It's just a safety net, nothing major but makes me feel better.
I'd add a footnote about first checking the cupboard and just writing down what you'd use, when, what's OK cold etc - no need to do a meal plan, just get an idea of how many days it's likely to last.
(most likely, monotonous but no danger of starving)
Even this can be surprisingly reassuring and the resulting feeling of knowing what you need to add to make it better helps too.
Aside from the camping gaz stove and/or making sure you have cold-edible food it's not hugely different from planning not to have to go to the shops for a week.
I grew up without much money. My parents were extremely irresponsible. There were times when the electricity went off, bills went unpaid and we were eating barely anything.
I *swore* to myself as a child, I wouldn’t live my life like that. I was hellbent on going to uni and getting a good job. Not because I wanted money - I wanted options and chocies. And I did. My degree meant I got a good job. I forced myself to apply for jobs I didn’t always feel fully confident in - because like someone said in the previous thread, most men in senior positions absolutely wing it. And I’ve yet to start a job I haven’t been able to learn, so that fear of not being competent is pretty unfounded if you’re even halfway intelligent and hardworking.
I also swore I wouldn’t have children until I was financially secure, with a house. Because I’m terrified of risking putting my kids through what I went through.
rising costs, even though I’m in a decent well paid job - are still terrifying. We are due to remortgage in just over a year and I’m terrified of rising interest rates.
it’s true that a lot of people with money - haven’t a clue. And they are the ones who are in positions of influence to change the system so they absolutely need to care. A lot of my circle are upper middle class and didn’t grow up with the circumstances I did, and they just don’t get how terrifying it is.
poverty porn didn’t start in the 2010s either. This country has a long history of it. The victorians thought that if you were poor, it was because you were immoral in some way. The mindset inspired Charles Dickens in many of his books. He was able to empathise better with the poor because he’d grown up in poverty himself.
I *swore* to myself as a child, I wouldn’t live my life like that. I was hellbent on going to uni and getting a good job. Not because I wanted money - I wanted options and chocies. And I did. My degree meant I got a good job. I forced myself to apply for jobs I didn’t always feel fully confident in - because like someone said in the previous thread, most men in senior positions absolutely wing it. And I’ve yet to start a job I haven’t been able to learn, so that fear of not being competent is pretty unfounded if you’re even halfway intelligent and hardworking.
I also swore I wouldn’t have children until I was financially secure, with a house. Because I’m terrified of risking putting my kids through what I went through.
rising costs, even though I’m in a decent well paid job - are still terrifying. We are due to remortgage in just over a year and I’m terrified of rising interest rates.
it’s true that a lot of people with money - haven’t a clue. And they are the ones who are in positions of influence to change the system so they absolutely need to care. A lot of my circle are upper middle class and didn’t grow up with the circumstances I did, and they just don’t get how terrifying it is.
poverty porn didn’t start in the 2010s either. This country has a long history of it. The victorians thought that if you were poor, it was because you were immoral in some way. The mindset inspired Charles Dickens in many of his books. He was able to empathise better with the poor because he’d grown up in poverty himself.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s and tbh it was normal to have a 'be prepared' kit. Nothing major but just candles, batteries, torch, some tinned food. Power outtages are rare but they do happen so it's wise to be a little prepared....without going into full pepper mode
I was just thinking, I remember growing up in the 90s and there being power cuts. Like the whole town would be out of power. It's never happened since I have been living on my own but back then it was a "oh, the powers out" ask the neighbours if there's had too.. then just light some candles and crack on with it. When your a kid you think its fun like ooo darkness, lets play hide n seek or whatever.
I also grew up with a single mum who had 3 jobs. Mom said back then they didnt have family tax credits n stuff like that. You just had to work. We never went without - we just had to wait a bit longer for things. As an adult now tho and speaking to my mom about them times, she said there was times where she would do us food and then she'd have our leftovers if there was any, or just wouldnt eat. And that's in the 90s, working 3 jobs. It's madness that we are now 2021, with state benefits to top up wages and people are still living like this!
I also grew up with a single mum who had 3 jobs. Mom said back then they didnt have family tax credits n stuff like that. You just had to work. We never went without - we just had to wait a bit longer for things. As an adult now tho and speaking to my mom about them times, she said there was times where she would do us food and then she'd have our leftovers if there was any, or just wouldnt eat. And that's in the 90s, working 3 jobs. It's madness that we are now 2021, with state benefits to top up wages and people are still living like this!
All that was missing in my Tesco delivery today was Tortilla crisps. Got loo roll, bread etc. Everything the Daily Fail says we have none of
I’m SE xMy local tesco is pretty normal. Occasional shortage of things (oats and pasta this week) but usually back in by the following week.
I think part of it is people have got too used to living in an on demand/always get what they want/need society.
And although I get the occasional powercut, they are rarer than maybe the 80s and 90s...and even then they were pretty rare
I think part of it is people have got too used to living in an on demand/always get what they want/need society.
And although I get the occasional powercut, they are rarer than maybe the 80s and 90s...and even then they were pretty rare
My village has a power cut at least once a day. Not going to help that they are building all around and we don't have the infrastructure to support any more homes. What do they care, they promise the earth and as the last worker leaves the site they give you the finger.
I also have a bit of extra food at home (pasta plus pesto / tinned tomato, cereal, tinned soup, biscuits etc) and it came in handy when I was so ill after the 2nd vaccine. I basically stayed in bed for five days and it was a relief not having to go to the supermarket
Yeah that's another reason. If you get sick and you don't have someone who can look after and shop for you it's handy to have an emergency stash to see you through a few days
There really isn’t a need to go to supermarket these days though you can just order online, so I don’t feel the need to stock up. I rarely go in and have deliveries twice a week. Mainly because it stops me buying random stuff in supermarkets and I can budget better!
B&M and home bargains do some nice glass oven to table stuff. I only use glass now.
Thanks I'll take a look there too x
Oh yeah it has definitely always been around. All the hymns back then were about the poor being poor because God chose it. I was more talking about the modern reality TV side of it - endless programmes and people watching out of some weird curiosity. We had a chance for attitudes to change but sadly it has steadily got worse.
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