The cost of living... what can we do?

The problem with the personal carbon allowance or carbon credits as they have also been referred to is one where the elites would yet again have a field day... buying or selling them. Those who have practically unlimited funding would be able to hoover up other people's unused/unwanted carbon allowance and carry on regardless. Whereas the rest of us who can't afford much would be selling, most likely being given a pittance for the allowance, purely to be able to afford to eat or heat our homes, and would lose any hope of even having a holiday or day trip away. This society is already well on a path to the haves and have nots, this would make it a million times worse.

If those elites really believe that we need to use less then they can start off by ditching their private jet flights etc first - once they do that, then I will buy into their scam.

 

It's a good vision, there must be many like me with a mind set of not valuing the cheap energy we have had in the past. This current crisis is a wake up call from my point of view. However on an individual level the immediate problem is many of us live in old houses that are going to cost an arm and a leg to heat, and to retrofit them to modern standards is prohibitive. It's cheaper to knock them down and rebuild.

Rich folk can afford to buy a passivhaus that is nearly carbon neutral with no electric or heating bills. The vast majority of us still have to live in the older housing stock, so there needs to be a way of gradually transitioning and recognising that some properties are no longer fit for purpose without penalising the occupants.

 

Just a thought, has anyone with single glazing looked at having secondary glazing fitted? I think you can pick it up in places like the DIY sheds or Screwfix but no idea on efficacy.

Aren't they quite pricey to run? I remember as a student having one in the draughty house in Bolton with a gas fire running and leaky roof! Awful place that was.

He should have been walked out the building and the deputy installed as caretaker. Of course he doesn't give a fig!

The only way to get people to voluntarily do this is make the green option cheaper than the regular choice. But it's always much more expensive!

 

I fitted them here years ago after we moved in, as a temporary measure over the 1930s rusty metal windows. They made a difference in keeping draughts out. There is still one window left with it fitted, that room was going to extended but never did. It was a system from Wickes and allowed it to be opened for cleaning or in the summer. It looks awful but saves money for sure if your single glazed window is in poor condition.

 

When it gets colder we use electric blankets, it's a good tip to get them with controls either side if you want your marriage to survive. I put my side on as I come up to bed, by the time I've cleaned my teeth etc it has taken the chill off. It doesn't stay on all night. We don't have any heating overnight and it is ok for me even though I like being really toasty I am ok once under the covers.

 

Our place had Crittall windows when we moved in here 50 years ago and can't remember what we had in our previous place. The Crittalls weren't draughty at all but the place was very cold in the winter being a detached bungalow with the winds roaring across the fields. We put in aluminium secondary glazing but the glazing was in sliding runners and framework. So in the summer we didn't need to remove them to have the windows open, we just slid the panel in front of the openers along.

The glazing worked wonders but had a 2" gap between the panes so gave excellent insulation against cold and noise. We had them removed when we had work done on the place and replaced them all with upvc double glazing. I don't think it made any difference to the temperature but was worse for sound insulation. We had that done when we were replacing the asbestos soffits and fascia boards.

We have loft and cavity insulation - grants were available when we had it done.

 

@Loofah - this is for a Silentnight dual control one:


Which at January's rates works out at 37p for 8 hours (assuming it is on full tilt for the 8 hours which is unlikely)



This is an excellent little calculator to work out what something is costing you to use Electricity Cost Calculator (Single Usage)