Not very hidden agenda to get more and more state bale outs...

[GarethM]

They weren't generating the energy tho, they were in effect a middle man

[John Skinner]

25 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

I agree with much of what you say.  But is anyone really going to die because their home is less well heated than last year? 

 

 

 

Sadly it happens all the time over winter; folk die of cold. Those who are in the worst situation often have to choose between heating and eating. Possibly because of the combination of the two, they are more susceptible to the affects off the cold.

 

Now, before someone 🙄 jumps in and points out that this isn't a huge percentage of the population .... yes, i'm aware of that. I'm not saying it's every second person, only that it does happen and often enough that it hits the news. I'm also not saying they freeze to death in mid step, like a cartoon. Just that the cold is a clear factor of their demise.

 

I think where this year is different, is that far more who would never have thought they'd be in this situation will be turning off their heat (or at least cutting it back to a bare min) purely out of lack of funds or over fear of impending bills.

 

 

[John Skinner]

28 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Great comedy thread.

 

Poor people should scour the countryside for wild berries and odd bits of wood to burn in their flat Nelson Mandela house, Peckham. 

 

Give it a few months and it'll be like The Hunger Games. Fights to the death over fruits and bits of kindling 🤣

[Mesterh]

Forget the foraging for berries and wood. Boris said if I buy a kettle I can save £10 a year!

 

I've just ordered 5,000 kettles, by this time next year I can retire.

 

Down there for dancin..

[John Skinner]

6 minutes ago, John Skinner said:

 

Sadly it happens all the time over winter; folk die of cold. Those who are in the worst situation often have to choose between heating and eating. Possibly because of the combination of the two, they are more susceptible to the affects off the cold.

 

Now, before someone 🙄 jumps in and points out that this isn't a huge percentage of the population .... yes, i'm aware of that. I'm not saying it's every second person, only that it does happen and often enough that it hits the news. I'm also not saying they freeze to death in mid step, like a cartoon. Just that the cold is a clear factor of their demise.

 

I think where this year is different, is that far more who would never have thought they'd be in this situation will be turning off their heat (or at least cutting it back to a bare min) purely out of lack of funds or over fear of impending bills.

 

 

 

And No, i don't think Margo and Walter and the kids will suddenly freeze to death in their modern detached villa 😉  But they might have to buckle down, put on some extra socks, invest in a blanket or think about paying attention to shutting doors/windows that they would never have thought about before. It's the folk at the other end of the scale who will feel the bite more.

 

[John Skinner]

11 minutes ago, Mesterh said:

Forget the foraging for berries and wood. Boris said if I buy a kettle I can save £10 a year!

 

I've just ordered 5,000 kettles, by this time next year I can retire.

 

Down there for dancin..

 

Move over Martin Lewis !! This is what i call useful advice. I'll be off to Lidl tomorrow to buy up their kettle stock and save a fortune. The best bit is, if i boil them all at once, the steam will help heat the house. More money saved !! 🤪

[coppice cutter]

1 hour ago, Squaredy said:

Sorry, I thought nurses were always band 6 and above - my error.

 

So the starting salary for band 5 is £27,055.  And no the figures I was quoting are from the nhs website.

According to the ONS, the median (a truer reflection of average wages than the average figure itself) wage in the UK is £31,461.

 

Does it seem fair that someone with the responsibilities of a nurse doesn't even be paid the median?

 

 

[eggsarascal]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Great comedy thread.

 

Poor people should scour the countryside for wild berries and odd bits of wood to burn in their flat in Nelson Mandela house, Peckham. 

It’s fecking stupendous.

[doobin]

I cannot wait to fire this bastard up, and keep it running full bore all winter with free wood. 

 

God I love having a sawmill.

[trigger_andy]

12 minutes ago, doobin said:

I cannot wait to fire this bastard up, and keep it running full bore all winter with free wood. 

 

God I love having a sawmill.

Scabwoods amazing. It’s a free byproduct. It dries really fast and is easy to cut to size. 
 

I’m still cutting my way through a huge stack from the spring that’s bone dry. 
 

Im not even getting near the actual firewood I’ve been splitting this year.