i think (yup sometimes i do)

[Two_Sheds]

I used to be so cold in my last flat (actually my last 3 flats): it had leaky windows, no insulation at all, high ceilings, and only storage heaters which were hot from 7am till 3pm only (and cost £1 a day just to turn on - you couldn't turn them hotter, they were just on or off).
It was just miserable. I was constantly ill with coughs & colds. I couldn't actually afford to having the heating on, so I went to bed at 6pm during wintertime.

I think I'd have topped myself if I wasn't able to go round Mum's and share her gas fire.

I'm lucky now, having found Mr Sheds ~ we are comfortably off, ie. not below the poverty line anymore. I can't waste energy (or anything) though, having been so poor for so many years. Old habits die hard, and I'm really stingy!

[lynda66]

know what you mean i sit watching the meter so it has to be really really cold for me to turn the heating on ..... i think today qualifies, the frost and ice in the garden didn't go, even though it was sunny, the ground was still frozen outside the tunnel when i came in ........ i definitely think we're in for a cold one this year, i have lived in ashton for 10 years now, and never known the ground frozen this time of year ........ and it's the first time today in 4 years i've had it, that the fish pond has ever frozen over.

[Alice]

Gee Whiz Lynda, if you're paying 52p hour for central heating there's something far wrong or you're being well ripped off.
My heating is on from 8AM til Midnight every day ie 1440 hours per 90 day quarter.
A cold winter quarter will be £200 max.
I make that 13.8 pence an hour with British Gas paying by DD.
And the whole house is beautifully warm.
Maybe yours is so expensive because you're using the card meter - I think that's just a rip off and I believe there is some kind of enquiry going on into it.
I hope you can get it sorted out as it's horrible to be cold.

[lynda66]

dunno what's wrong, i've had them out to it numerous times ...... i think it's just crap ........ the hot water is pretty rubbish too...... anyway the fact it aint working ........ again .......solves that problem lol ........ it was actually loads cheaper than it was on british gas ....... but still ridiculous.

[SueA]

We've put our heating on for an hour or so over the last few nights, normally during the day I just have a small electric radiator on in the room I'm in. Our gas fire doesn't work & the pilot light keeps going out on the back boiler, suppose we'll have to bite the bullet & get a new system fitted next year. I can understand you not putting the heating on if you're sitting watching the meters whizzing round but when you get it fixed make sure you don't go cold & the inhabitants of 'Lynda's zoo' are warm enough too!

[Two_Sheds]

make sure you don't go cold & the inhabitants of 'Lynda's zoo' are warm enough too!

I hear coney makes a nice warm coat

* ducks a swipe from Lynda

[lynda66]

actually psycho has been quite sweet today, and only tried to bite me twice, so she has been saved from the pie and coat for another day ....... the cats, are refusing to go out, and poppy is under my duvet on the sofa ............. this morning i knew it was going to be cold as poppy was in bed with me, and i was pinned down by a cat each side as close to me as they could possibly be for warmth lol.

[piskieinboots]

I have just looked at our utility bills - we pay £800 per annum for gas and electric combined and use it (the heating, gas) whenever we feel cold outside of the 'programmed hours'.

No idea how that measures up to others and before anyone asks - no, we are not subsidised by the military as often people think, we pay the standard street prices that you all pay

[lynda66]

I'm currently using around £7 a week electric, and the same gas .....can tell it's gone up though

[maytreefrannie]

Lynda, I hope your house has heated up by now. Daughter is here with a blanket over her feet and legs, but we have the fire lighting which I think will heat the place up shortly.

All I can say is, don't be cold if you can avoid it, I know it's a pain when you're counting the cost, but your health is more important.

Good wishes.

[lynda66]

i've just had a spicey stew, i have a full tummy, a duvet and it's finally warmed up, and the best bit is my hands didn't drop off with the cold lol .......

[Bephlam]

I can't stand to be cold - we always have the CH on. We just received our quarterly gas bill and it was a whopping £32. In fairness we have a tiny cottage, 5 radiators in total, but it's always cosey.

I refuse to be cold...hate it!!!!

[HeyWayne]

There's no heating in our kitchen (we had the radiator decomissioned when we had the kitchen redone), and we had thermostat valves fitted to all the radiators throughout the house - we don't switch on the rooms we don't use. It certainly feels cold when you go in them.

Whilst I've been off I've noticed the temperature drop in the house during the day (when our heating is programmed to be off), but it never falls much below 16-17 degrees. Your walls must be paper thin lynda to drop that far - that or your windows are wide open!

We don't qualify for any aid whatsoever to improve the insulation/efficiency of our home (we could install cavity wall insulation, and improve the loft insulation), but my Mum did, and got cavity wall insulation for next to nothing. Certainly improved the situation in her house.

I think there are grants etc to help, I think the energy saving trust is one place to look.

Hope you manage to get something sorted lynda - it's gonna get colder.

[SarzWix]

Our gas & electric have gone up to over £100 a month, EACH. But I'm still not turning the heating off - I have enough pain in my life, being cold just makes it worse! We have the thermostat set at about 17°c, and wear jumpers if that isn't enough. But I think our boiler is at least 20 years old, so it's not the most efficient! Our electric oven is a similar age, and equally inefficient...

Anyone on a low income (less than £13,500 pa) should ring their energy suppliers and ask if they have a Social Tariff which gives a rebate or price reduction (even on prepayment meters). NPower's is called Spreading Warmth

What is the Spreading Warmth tariff?
It is a new tariff from npower that delivers a total dual fuel annual discount of £250 Exc. VAT (£125 per fuel)†.

Who is eligible?
If you have a gross annual household income of less than £13,500 and where someone in the household meets at least one of the eligibility criteria below:

*aged over 60
*disabled
*suffers from a chronic illness
*a child under 16

Unfortunately, we miss out on it by a couple of hundred quid

[Bephlam]

So it's low wage PLUS one of the criteria?