Heating this winter to become unaffordable?

[snow hope]

For the first time in recent history, I think we may be entering the realms of heating becoming unaffordable for large groups of ordinary working people in the 'West' this winter.

Certainly oil heating (used a lot in NI) is now about £560 for 900 litres - some houses use this every 2 months or so. And with the latest gas price increases, it must be getting pretty expensive to heat your house with gas this winter (it used to be so cheap a few short years back).

What will happen, when millions of people cant afford to buy oil or gas? Will they rack up the costs as debt? Will they write to their MPs to complain or just go out on the streets and riot?

To me this is the first time in my memory when I think things are going to get really ugly/bitter. Cold people are not happy people.........

What do you think is going to happen?

[gug]

For the first time in recent history, I think we may be entering the realms of heating becoming unaffordable for large groups of ordinary working people in the 'West' this winter.

Certainly oil heating (used a lot in NI) is now about £560 for 900 litres - some houses use this every 2 months or so. And with the latest gas price increases, it must be getting pretty expensive to heat your house with gas this winter (it used to be so cheap a few short years back).

What will happen, when millions of people cant afford to buy oil or gas? Will they rack up the costs as debt? Will they write to their MPs to complain or just go out on the streets and riot?

To me this is the first time in my memory when I think things are going to get really ugly/bitter. Cold people are not happy people.........

What do you think is going to happen?

I'm afraid i dont have solution to this problem, but I am staggered at how folks could spend 280 pounds in a month on heating and *not* have absolutely stuffed their house so full of insulation that they *dont* have to spend that much money.

[adam2]

Whilst some will regretably suffer real hardship, most households use fuel so wastfully that they could easily halve theire useage.

A great many homes are heated to 27 degrees, when 22 should be sufficient for the sick or aged, and 19 for the younger and fitter.
Many households heat every room, rather than just those rooms that need it.
Many people leave heating on 24/7 because they cant be bothered to set the timer.

The market will probably succeed in cutting fuel use when decades of fuel saving campaignes, programmes and iniatives have failed.

[snow hope]

gug - yes it is staggering, but the price has only reached this level (over £500) in recent weeks (was previously a low price of £125 in 2001, average price of £200 in recent years). That is exactly why I think this winter is going to show up real problems!

adam2 - the people I know who spend this kind of money don't have their heating on 24x7 I can assure you. One person I spoke to who has 2 daughters, just said what else can they do - apart from keep buying the oil..... I game him a few suggestions!

[SILVERHARP2]

adam2 - the people I know who spend this kind of money don't have their heating on 24x7 I can assure you. One person I spoke to who has 2 daughters, just said what else can they do - apart from keep buying the oil..... I game him a few suggestions!

it depends on peoples disposable income, for the average middleclass family, I guess they will keep paying for refills but they may reduce their consumption as well, otherwise things like holidays will be cut back.
However I do get the impression that even some professional families are financing holidays on credit cards so there will be pain if they are even struggling to keep up with the Jones's in the good times.

[PS_RalphW]

My parents are in their 80s and poor health. They live in a detached 4 bed house, and have gas central heating which recently broke down. They are intelligent, my dad is a retired engineer who knows all about energy. My brother gave him contacts to a local council funded energy efficiency scheme offering free home improvements to the needy. Their house does not have cavity wall insulation. He will not get it fitted because the house brickwork would need repainting...

horses , water and drinking come to mind.

[emordnilap]

What will happen, when millions of people cant afford to buy oil or gas? Will they rack up the costs as debt? Will they write to their MPs to complain or just go out on the streets and riot?

No doubt the majority will expect their government to 'do' something.

Incredible, the sheer number of people who didn't expect this or plan for it in any shape or form.

Denial.

[skeptik]

What will happen, when millions of people cant afford to buy oil or gas? Will they rack up the costs as debt? Will they write to their MPs to complain or just go out on the streets and riot?

No doubt the majority will expect their government to 'do' something.

Of course, all of the above , eventually. Appealing to E.On to reduce your bill because you cant afford to heat your house won't get you very far. The energy markets don't care whether you live or die. Dead pensioners are not part of the calculations of the spot market.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fee620d2-528c ... 07658.html

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h33 ... Q-EzwHh6-A

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/541 ... -in-crisis

[Shira]

I'm afraid i dont have solution to this problem, but I am staggered at how folks could spend 280 pounds in a month on heating and *not* have absolutely stuffed their house so full of insulation that they *dont* have to spend that much money.

A lot of people don't own the houses they live in. Insulating your house and much of the other very useful and sensible stuff that would help reduce energy consumption are not options for tenants. The only choice we have is to put up with higher bills, much as we might wish we could make sensible long-term changes. Thankfully we don't have oil heating in our current house, and we don't spend anywhere near £280 a month, but there are all these things people are suggesting - buy a wood-burning stove! put in loads of insulation! install a grey-water system! etc, and we would if we could, but we don't own our home and can't afford to buy one. I just wish people would remember that not everyone is in a position to make these sorts of changes to their homes before spouting off about how astounding it is that they're complaining about high bills when "all they have to do is xyz!"

[Adam1]

I'm afraid i dont have solution to this problem, but I am staggered at how folks could spend 280 pounds in a month on heating and *not* have absolutely stuffed their house so full of insulation that they *dont* have to spend that much money.

A lot of people don't own the houses they live in. Insulating your house and much of the other very useful and sensible stuff that would help reduce energy consumption are not options for tenants. The only choice we have is to put up with higher bills, much as we might wish we could make sensible long-term changes. Thankfully we don't have oil heating in our current house, and we don't spend anywhere near £280 a month, but there are all these things people are suggesting - buy a wood-burning stove! put in loads of insulation! install a grey-water system! etc, and we would if we could, but we don't own our home and can't afford to buy one. I just wish people would remember that not everyone is in a position to make these sorts of changes to their homes before spouting off about how astounding it is that they're complaining about high bills when "all they have to do is xyz!"

Shira, have you checked out all the options for grants?

http://www.government-grants.co.uk/

[emordnilap]

Energy efficiency should be as much part of rented accommodation as the fire regulations.

[Shira]

Adam1, that's good stuff; still, if you're not on benefits/relevant tax credits and still can't afford anything, it's not that helpful as it won't cover all the cost. It's moot for us as we're moving to Ireland in a few months anyway, but we wouldn't be eligible for the full-cost grant and we don't have any disposable income so we wouldn't be able to afford even the discounted stuff. Huge numbers of people are in that position. Also, all the free stuff in the world won't help if your landlord doesn't want it done (I know, it would be totally irrational to refuse something like that, but people are strange and will often resist doing the clearly beneficial thing for no good reason at all). Still, I like the fact that those options are available, and they should definitely be more publicised; most people, I imagine, have no idea that such opportunities exist. I'll definitely be telling people about it, thanks for that link.
emordnilap, I agree completely. Maybe at some point it will be, but I reckon it'll be quite a long way past too late by the time it is.

[emordnilap]

Shira, have you checked out all the options for grants?

http://www.government-grants.co.uk/

Spot the mistake under 'Gas central heating grants'.

And there's this: "Be prepared to spend in the region of £4,000 - £6,000 for solar water heating panels for the average house and to receive £400 back in the form of a government grant." Wow. (a) that's a lot of money for SDHW and (b) £400 ain't much of an incentive even if you are fool enough to want to spend 4 to 6 grand.

When I last rented a flat, on some winter mornings I couldn't see out of the windows because of thick ice - on the inside.

[adam2]

[A lot of people don't own the houses they live in. Insulating your house and much of the other very useful and sensible stuff that would help reduce energy consumption are not options for tenants. The only choice we have is to put up with higher bills, much as we might wish we could make sensible long-term changes. Thankfully we don't have oil heating in our current house, and we don't spend anywhere near £280 a month, but there are all these things people are suggesting - buy a wood-burning stove! put in loads of insulation! install a grey-water system! etc, and we would if we could, but we don't own our home and can't afford to buy one. I just wish people would remember that not everyone is in a position to make these sorts of changes to their homes before spouting off about how astounding it is that they're complaining about high bills when "all they have to do is xyz!"

This is indeed a problem, though even in rented property one can save a bit. Draughtstripping ill fitting doors and windows and insulating hot water cylinders has such a rapid payback that its worth it even in rented property. Low energy lightbulbs are well worth it, and of course you can take them with you.
If domestic appliances are yours rather than the landlords, purchase only high efficiency versions.
Thick heavy curtains are useful, and again can be taken with you.
Loft insulation should really be done by the landord, but might be worth doing yourself if you expect to stay in the property for some years.

Not many landlords would let you install a wood stove, though its allways worth asking. If you have a source of free wood, I suspect that a cheap stove would pay its way in one winter.
And dont forget ample warm bedding such that no heating is required at night. I find 6 thick wool blankets sufficient even when its close to zero inside.

[Shira]

adam2 - obviously we've done pretty much everything you suggested there already, though I hate hate hate the fluorescent lightbulbs as I'm autistic and I suffer from migraines, and they aren't great for those of us with non-typical neurology. We bought a full-spectrum bulb for the computer room and that doesn't cause as many problems, so when we can afford it we'll be getting more of those.
I imagine more landlords will start to be amenable to the idea of tenants installing woodstoves as the energy crisis becomes more obvious. I'm not sure I'd want to do it, though, because I am a cynical and suspicious type and wouldn't trust a landlord not to allow us to make all the changes and then when things get really tight, kick us out, thereby reaping the benefits of all the stuff we put in.
As I say, we're moving to Ireland in the new year, and it's going to be fun trying to find a place that isn't heated by oil and meets all our other requirements...