John Skinner

For those that qualify, i.e. the low income families etc as mentioned - Yes.

Boasting, god no. Lobster - er ... no thanks. Two brand new cars on the drive - er ... no. Just a brown bin and a cube bag of waste to go to the dump.

It's means tested. You get what you are due dependant on your situation. I think that's already been said. It's not only for homeowners, tenants can apply too with the approval of their landlord/housing association. Homeowners can also have changes of circumstances; illness, loss of job, death of a partner, etc, etc. Homeowners can sometimes need a little help too. I'm not asking for a grant, i'm merely passing on the info to others in an open discussion between polite forum members. Freeloading blagger 🤔 Aww thank you 😂🤣

First you'd need to educate folk to the fact that fruit grows on trees/bushes. Most these days think it grows in plastic containers or ready made into deep fried fruit pies

Yeah. That and other things. Hell ... in a minute i'm going shopping, and yes, while i do that i'll still be at work 😉 Hell ... i might even post on this forum while in the shop, all while still being at work ... i'm just that good 👍

Agreed. Some of the videos you just have to scream at the screen shouting "Noooo" because some of them are just ludicrous. All you are trying to do is light it, put a bit of heat up the flue to create the draw (if needed) and get it going enough so you can bung on a big log. Its fire, it doesn't really need much help, it knows its job.

I am at work 👍

It's a grant. You pay nothing. It's for those on low income or in houses that could benefit from being updated when that's beyond their means. Obviously if you are a worker drone, on a nice ample wage and your property doesn't need it ... then you're meant to buy your own and leave the grants for those that need it. It's not rocket science 🤣

As far as i know it's means tested and obviously depends on the type, age, state of the building in question, as well as your income/situation. In Scotland, not sure about other areas, you pay nothing. They do a fairly laborious investigation into everything about the property, you need to fill in all kinds of online questionnaires and they they send out surveyors for each of the jobs to be done. Might be worth doing a bit or research online and seeing what you qualify for.

I think this is a new (pretty much the same) scheme that also covers loft/internal wall insulation, under floor insulation, pipe lagging, new windows/doors, and the main area ... new gas boilers, radiators, ground/heat pumps and the like. I agree. No point having the boiler/stove/radiators all done if your house is as open as a slatted barn. In that situation all you're doing is heating the air outside as it passes through.

The home insulation program is still running. or should i say 'running again' in tandem with the new gas boiler / double glazed window program.

Tip Sites work for some, but not in this area. I''ve had one listed (free, then paid/beer tokens) for months and not had a thing (which is fine). I've asked local arbs, gardeners, and yes ... even the council folk cutting back trees and got the same answer "Nope". It's either the companies and has to go back to the depot, or they sell it or chip it. Also doing it that way without a van/tow bar and trailer its not easy. I spoke to a neighbour about getting the stack of timber off-cuts he had in his garden. Made my case for getting it from him for my woodburner and helping him clear his garden. Initially it sounded like we had a deal. Just discovered he's now putting in a woodburner and burning it himself. I guess i made a better job of selling the benefits of woodburners than i did getting the wood 😂

If only i had a wood lorry with one of those grabber things on the back. I'm surrounded by woodland and stacks of felled trees. One good trip could keep me going for years 👍

Might be more of a case where the likes of car thefts will go down, but all the trees in the neighbourhood start vanishing 😂

Pensioners, those with disabilities, very low income families and the like will/are struggling this year. I'm sure any donation of logs to those that really need it would be greatly appreciated 👍 On another note... Isn't it daft, at a time where elec/gas is unaffordable to most, that the Gov opts at this moment to cancel its grant scheme to help folk put in woodburners/stoves.

And where might this free wood be found? 🤔 I mean situations where you don't have to collect it under the cover of darkness with Billy and Bodger keeping an eye out for the fuzz 🤣

Totally agree ..... for those who are in the luxury position of a) having a belt to tighten and, b) being able to tighten it and still live. Dropping down from a couple of steaks and a bottle of red a night, to a lesser meal and wine, is far different to those who are starting out on the breadline. The problem is with those who are on a very 'VERY' limited budget already, with no hope of an increase and now facing rising rent/mortgage, food bills and the prospect of their energy bills going up by ... what are they now saying ... seven times the normal rate!! These people can't cut back, they already live with limits far beyond what most would even consider cutting back to. For those people ... YES ... lets help them get back to a good standard of survival; get them through winter. And by that i mean help with lights, heat, food in the cupboard, clothes on their back ... NOT trips to the bingo, family holidays to Benidorm, matching family shell suits, or the latest iPhone fo little Chardonnay. At the end of the day people, no matter who they are or where they sit on the income ladder, should be able to afford to actually live. Is the answer ever more handouts - No, obviously not. But initially, for now, it might have to be to try and balance the scales a little. There is something far wrong with any society where people who have worked their entire lives, and been good honest people, are dying of starvation and lack of heat. All while energy companies (and the like) make billions in profits and sit there bitching that their industry needs to help them protect their mass profits. And before someone says it ... NO, I don't have the answer. I'm just hoping there is one and it can be implemented soon. Wow ... bit of a rant there 😱 Too much sugar in the old dark roast there perhaps.

if it was "so long" you'd have thought there would have been more interest

Yeah.... Bloody farmers with their crops and livestock. Why can't they just buy their stuff at the supermarket like the rest of us !! 😂 🤣

There's certainly an element of "I told you so" when talking about energy bills, wood burners, etc. When i initially said i was putting in a woodburner, many were sceptical and raised an eyebrow at the thought. Now skip ahead 6mths or so and most (still not all) are coming around to the idea/benefits of it. I've had no luck on the Tip Site front as yet and tracking down free/cheap logs as been just as successful. But one of the neighbours has been renovating (gutting and rebuilding) their house and has about 2 pickup loads of nice clean timber off-cuts they want cleared. So just waiting on the word to go 'aquire' that for the fire. Might not be as relaxing at doing kindling, but at least its free

Oh it'll look utterly pants for a while till it starts to sprout. But as it's right at the front of the house, in front of the main window, its either cut it back every once in a while or cut it down. It's getting turned into a lawn lamp over winter with 1000 LED's over the trunk/branches, so at least it'll still be the centre of attention, even without its top. If it doesn't start to sprout ... then more logs for the fire

Nah. Gets cut back the same way every 8years or so. Always comes back and looks just fine. But if it doesn't ... that's fine too.

Sex? What's that? Oh wait .... i remember 🤪

I use the Titan splitter mounted in a rubber bucket on top of a tall stack of 9-10 blocks (this will be on a wooden chopping block, but not organised one yet) so everything is at standing height. Hit the log off the splitter with the lump hammer and the bits all drop nicely into the bucket. Once semi-full i just lift the bucket and tip it into the big storage chest. Only bending i do is if a bit goes flying. It's not a new method of working, but it works for me. I took the top (all but the trunk and about 5-6ft of thick branch) off a huge cherry tree in my front garden the other day (such a shock to discover i had sky/sun in front of the house all this time and never knew 🤪). So today i have to breakdown those branches into logs, sticks and green waste. Now that 'is' going to cause me lots of lower back issues from all the bending. Oh the joys 😣

Went out to the woodshed the other day to just chop a few logs (literally 1-2) into kindling. Just a wee handful to prep the stove with for the next lighting. I found it weirdly relaxing, and before i knew it i'd filled one of those 170ltr wheelie storage chest. There must just be something about smashing a chunk of hardwood off a Titan splitter with a heavy lump hammer that appeals to me. * It would have been softwood but it was soaking after being left in the open in the pissing rain. Yes ... we have rain 😳😲😱