How are keeping warm?

Besides of course wearing warm clothes , when I get back to the house in the early evening I get under my warmer which often puts me to sleep for a while

M&S mega thermals, leggings and long sleeved top. I live in them.

Cath9 what is a warmer ..new word for?

My wee Halogen heater! Cheap to buy cheap to run. I put CH on for a few hours at night switch it off and put Halogen on nice and toasty. Its like having a coal fire on

Well I , as usual, am in the worst of places. As I do not get Pension Credit, I have just had the WFP taken off me, which is a blow. So it will be eat or heat at times. I would be better if they took whatever £10 or £20 off my pension as I would then be in line for the benefits . At the moment I get no help, and when I went to my bank to ask if I could change to an account that paid a small amount of interest, was told that I dont put enough per month into the bank so would not get it!! Heads you lose, Tails you lose!! As I now have cancer and a bad back , cannot walk quickly and feel the cold more So I have always been one to get things from sales and second hand shops. and after many years I now have about 7 cashmere jumpers. 2 of which are smart enough to go out in, one is on its last legs with holes under both armpits etc, but fine to wear doing jobs in the house. I bought my great bargain for I think it was £5 or £7. it is a padded gilet nearly to the floor with a zip up the centre , no sleeves and a hood that can be pulled up . So at home I shower and dress in cord trousers, never jeans (too cold, ) in bitter weather my thermal longjohns from my sailing days go on underneath. then bra, cotton T shirt with long sleeves, Ancient very warm blue jacket bought for £5 from charity shop, or one of the aforementioned cashmere top. This this long white gilet over the top. It isnt tight and easy to slip off if I get too warm or need the loo etc. It had been in the shop for quite a while as it was white and you thought stupid colour, but then I thought it will wash and bought it. so my bedroom has an hours heat in the early morning so that it is warm enough to dress in, I then put the water on for washing up or whatever , then off it goes.
Next I have changed some of my routines. So a friend and I usually spend one morning a week at each others flat. that way we warm one room for the two of us, chat ,make things do whatever. Then I go to a womens group thursday am. dont have to book but it is warm there, so dont need heat on at home. Try to go swimming at least once a week, as it is the exercise I can do,because I have cancer and a bad back and cannot do much exercising on land. Enjoy the swimming, meet other swimmers, warm there. shower and wash hair as I come out of the pool, so clean and decent and then go to the Cafe Nero for a coffee , with my paper. Quite a large cafe so can sit out of the way and not disturb others and sit and read , chat to people and then go and get any shopping and go home. Play whist one evening a week in a local village. It is an effort to go out in the evening but again, very sociable crowd, good game with prizes , costs me £4 for the game and two raffle tickets. It is warm and you get a drink and a biscuit at half time, and often learn of coffee mornings or whatever. Sad that because of the cost of heating I actually have to go out more as it is cheaper than staying at home!! So change my routine and will work out which is the best way to get shopping or whatever and then go for a coffee where I can spend at least 30 minutes warm and comfortable in a chair at the coffee shop so that I am warmed up before I go home!! I plan to live to 103, to the annoyance of men of whatever political persuasion, as my pittance of a pension will be paid to me as I refuse to oblige them by hurrying up and dying, sso that they wont have to pay my measly pension and as I am only 79 now intend to stay alive for a good while later. Mind you , I dont want you to be infuriated as I shall be getting a pension increase in July!! Ha Ha! I am already thinking of what I shall spend the princely sum of 25 pence!!!!! on. So I think that if I save up for 13 weeks (so long as the price doesnt go up)I will have enough money to buy a cup of coffee!!!

Madeleine45 quite a statement.. I agree if I had 10-20 £s off my monthly pension, I too could rake in the benefits as only retired last year - and paid 46 years of NI which is never taken into account as overpayment
I applaud you for going swimming- a pastime I used to enjoy years ago but with severe mobility problems I’m a liability in water and out of it. I too lost the WFP .. so unfair and unjust.. am spending too much time in bed and this is not good for anyone’s mental health.. soul destroying .. my mother and father will be turning in their grave and telling me the mantra get up man and try - never say die- this was imprinted on a tall white pottery milk jug letters in blue - sitting on the table every morning- never understood it then but now ..🙏

Couldn't afford heating oil, nor heated blankets, so its lots of shivering and as much time under duvet as I can. Doesn't help at all that am also very ill at the minute, and dont even have hot water without the oil

So shocking and depressing to hear how so many of us are living from day to day, after a lifetime of working and paying taxes - we never expected to end up like this!

Madeleine do you get attendance allowance? It sounds like you would qualify and worth more than a once a year WFP. If you need some support with the application age UK are very good.

theworriedwell

Madeleine do you get attendance allowance? It sounds like you would qualify and worth more than a once a year WFP. If you need some support with the application age UK are very good.

I quite agree with theworriedwell, itsounds as if you would qualify for AA, with that worth between £72 - £109 a week, plus if you receive AA the income entitlement for Pension Credit goes from £218 to over £300, which, if your income is slightly over the able bodied level, should mean that you now qualify for PC and the WFA.

My one warning, do not fill in the form yourself. The questions are detailed and you need to know what answers they are looking fo. Go to Age UK and ask for help. I used to volunteer with them as a Benefits Advisor and completed hundreds of forms. If you needed help I would always be willing to do so through PMs. I have done it (successfully) for other GN members.

I have a selection of woolly scarves, including 2 huge blanket ones, a load of leggings, 6 beanie hats of various colours and designs, a selection of fake fur throws, a fat duvet and 3 hot water bottles, oh and various large soft toys to cuddle!

Madeleine we are rooting for you. I hope you come back and tell us you've applied and got AA and Monica's info on the increased level for pension credit makes it even better.

I remember applying for my late mother. She was turned down and I appealed. When she got it she had over £1k in back payment. She phoned to tell me and I thought something terrible had happened as she was crying so hard. This was 30 years ago so it was a lot of money.

I have moved home, no idea what heating bills will be here. We have been getting to grips with an unknown to us, heating system.At the other hous I could predict pretty much what my bills would be and try and economise accordingly, here I don't know yet, but I've been so cold last few days (Here in Yorkshire) that I've had the heating on A LOT, can't afford it but as others have said, I'll dal with that when I get a bill, I cannot be cold for health reasons.

Deal with it, not Dal with it !

Nannimo

I am still battling my husband who cut the CH pipes last Sept and has not rd unstated it at all . No hot water either . Using a kettle and my dishwasher . I go to a local health club for a shower and hot sauna ! I have threatened to leave big that doesn’t do any good and I can’t afford it either . Not looking for sympathy but there are people who are far worse off - so put the heating on I’ve you have it x

Our central heat can't be repaired, so we use our 2 fireplaces and free wood. Our home is old, not worthy of an expensive new boiler. However my we'd tankless hot water installed. (Showers&basins, utility room).

Works a treat. Perhaps that would work for you?

Thermal underwear with long sleeves and long legs. Natural fibres on top - whether merino, cashmere or just good old plain wool; keep moving if you can; draw curtains before sunset (sounds witchy!) and close doors to retain heat.

Struggling here too! But more importantly worried about my elderly parents. They haven't got the financial ability to keep their heating on all day and night, so I thought that purchasing a heated blanket or other heating devices would be a better option.
Would appreciate any recommendations in terms of where I could purchase one from and how much it would cost per day electricity wise?
Any advice would be great, thanks

Asda, Argos, Dunelm, Boots, Matalan. Cost £20-40,

Cost of running : 2 - 4p an hour.

M0nica

Asda, Argos, Dunelm, Boots, Matalan. Cost £20-40,

Cost of running : 2 - 4p an hour.

I would recommend that you don't buy on line as many are from China and not so safe..

I think someone said that Aldi are selling one in the middle aisle, and their stuff is usually very good.

MissAdventure

I think someone said that Aldi are selling one in the middle aisle, and their stuff is usually very good.

Yes, I posted about that - it's a Specialbuy, going on sale from Thursday 16th and £29.99 apparently.

Aha!
I think my memory is coming back..

Aldi electrical products always get really good customer reviews, but I'm not sure how fancy a heated blanket could be.

They must be much of a muchness, I'd think.

Apologies if I've posted this before, but I swear by Primark fleezy leggings, worn under trousers. I suffer from sore knees and these really help in winter. Think they, re about £8. Ridiculous that people are suffering and scared to put on heating.

People would ordinarily have their heating on in this weather, so I can't see why they aren't putting it on AT ALL.

MissAdventure

People would ordinarily have their heating on in this weather, so I can't see why they aren't putting it on AT ALL.

This is something that always puzzles me, but because I do not have any problems paying my heating bills, I feel it is possibly invidious for me to ask.