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daisymay
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daisymay is offline
South Wales Valleys
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28-09-2013, 01:13 AM
21

Re: Central Heating

Mollie, you want to get yourself one of those fleece thingies that have sleeves the type you put on like a back to front coat. I have heard they are brilliant. B&M often have them at really low prices.

Just a thought but do you not qualify for any of the aid towards heating and boilers etc?
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Mollie
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Wigan in Lancashire
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28-09-2013, 01:36 AM
22

Re: Central Heating

Originally Posted by daisymay ->
Mollie, you want to get yourself one of those fleece thingies that have sleeves the type you put on like a back to front coat. I have heard they are brilliant. B&M often have them at really low prices.

Just a thought but do you not qualify for any of the aid towards heating and boilers etc?
Haha now then lass, there hangs a tale. This is probably one of the craziest things you'll ever have heard, but here goes. First of all, no, I don't qualify because, da-daaaah, I'm not receiving any benefits. So, those that do, qualify, even though they've probably got more in the bank than I do by receiving benefits. Not being rude, just stating a fact.

Am I receiving working tax credits, I was asked. No, says I, but I'll find out about it to find out if I qualify for that, so I rings the Tax Office.

Sorry, says he but, if you were working 16 hours a week instead of 15, then I'd qualify but, if I were earning money for 16 hours instead of 15 on my currently hourly rate, I'd be earning too much over a year to qualify! Ha! That's a laugh! Go figure. I've tried to work it out on all me fingers and toes but it still doesn't add up!

So, to summarise, if you're on the pension and still working, it is assumed that you have plenty of money in the bank, but the assumption should be that if you're still working, then it's because you can't afford to live on the pension and continue to work to add just a little quality of life.

I sometimes think it might be better if I gave up work, and started to take as many benefits from the Government that I can, in order to get a new boiler. Now, how stupid does that sound?

Did I just wake up and find myself back in the 18th century?
daisymay
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South Wales Valleys
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28-09-2013, 02:09 AM
23

Re: Central Heating

Not sure what to say here, as I am one of those who qualify for pension credit and thus get some help towards heating bills, which have to say feel badly about cos they are minimal anyway. As for boilers and such like, well tis a housing association property so all that sort of stuff is down to them. Sadly when I was working my wage was not sufficient for me to get a mortgage.

Have to admit though these govt agencies do my head in too. Before my 60th I was signing on, but had bad back problems so job centre sent me for a medical. Result was I was put onto incapacity benefit instead of jsa. So I asked about disability benefit. They sent a doctor to the house, who sat on the sofa and chatted for about twenty mins, asked me to touch toes (big joke), to bend and pick something off the floor (again a joke) and to squat which I refused to even try because I knew that I would not be able to get back up. He left and three days later got a letter saying it had been refused. But here is the joke, the day after he had been an assessment officer from social services came to assess me for a wet room, as a month earlier had found myself unable to lift myself up and out of bath (how I knew squatting was a no no). After ten mins and asking me to do exactly the same as he had done, she told me there and then that it was obvious that there was severe weakness in my thigh and lower back muscles and she would set in motion arrangements for bath out and wet room in. How on earth can two medical professionals come to such opposite conclusions?

Well I can make a suggestion, the second persons job was to make life easier for people, while the first persons was to save the govt money.
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Mollie
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Wigan in Lancashire
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28-09-2013, 02:36 AM
24

Re: Central Heating

Totally bonkers, isn't it. Thing is, I can get around reasonably well, but I can't walk far so have to rely on my car. I'm okay on the flat, but can't walk uphill for more than perhaps 10 yards, then my left leg gives up on me with a lot of pain. However, my doctor can find nothing wrong with my leg and I can't actually prove that I'm in pain, so I can't claim any benefits for my lack of walking skills.

Anyway, we seem to be merging between Home & DIY and the Health & Fitness section, but I suppose it applies to both sections in an odd way.

Fear not! I shall not freeze this winter. In fact, when Gordon died in July 2008 I didn't put my central heating on because I didn't think I could afford it, and that was a vicious winter here, and indeed the year after, but I survived, and I'll survive again with me blankets whilst I'm on me computer. I'm never cold in bed though, so that's a bit of a bonus!
orangutan
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Another world
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28-09-2013, 11:39 AM
25

Re: Central Heating

Originally Posted by Julie1962 ->
Have never turned heating on before end of October before and try to hold out into November if we can.
Same here.

Originally Posted by daisymay ->
Read recently that a cool bed and bed room is more condusive to getting and staying asleep than is a warm bed and room. It is to do with the way a body reacts to temperatures, body temp lowers and encourages sleep. The article was about insomnia and ways to overcome, said something about getting out of hot bath, then into cold bed/room actually helps body drop off quicker than a hot bed/room. Have to say I am inclined to agree. Diving into a cold bed may not sound ideal, but the oxygen carrying blood is diverted to warm the body, thus brain ixtgen and therefore brain activity is reduced.
Absolutely agree with this. My bedroom window is always open except if the weather is exceptionally noisy. But I still have times when I toss and turn because I get too warm. Sometimes it's like having hot flushes all over again.
lavander
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s. scotland
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28-09-2013, 12:28 PM
26

Re: Central Heating

yes Mollie ..they don't make it very rewarding for people to work....hope it works out for you
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Mollie
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Wigan in Lancashire
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02-10-2013, 03:10 AM
27

Re: Central Heating

Thanks Lavander, yep, it will indeed.

I feel awful saying this but, if I knew how to work the system, I'd try to get on benefits just in order to qualify for a new boiler. Since the age of 15 to the present time I've paid full tax, and I'm 63 now; and yet young folk who are receiving benefits get everything free. I am most definitely NOT talking about people who are genuinely in need, but the scroungers who do know how to work the system, and it's so wrong.

Missus Annie, you must definitely not be cold this winter. Wrap yourselves in blankets to stay warm.

Without my central heating I have no hot water but, luckily I have an immersion heater and, if I switch it on for an hour say on Monday, the water is still hot on Wednesday and, as my shower is electric, I don't have to rely on the gas for that - so I've decided to go mainly electric for the forseeable.

I like my bed to be cold when I get into it as I warm up within just a few minutes, so I don't have heating on in my bedroom, and my window is open every day of the year, no matter how cold it gets.

I am still enquiring about a new boiler but, if it comes to nought, I is old pioneer woman and I's't get through the worst bad winter if I have to. I've done it afore, and I'll do it again.
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shaz
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Manchester, lancs
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02-10-2013, 06:22 PM
28

Re: Central Heating

Had my boiler serviced today. A few weeks back I put the heating on. When I turned it off. It stayed on. Kept turning it on and off, eventually it turned off. So I put it on this morning to see if it would turn off. It stayed on again. By the time BG came it was like a sauna. I knew it was not the thermostat, or the timer clock. Seems it was the switch on the boiler that was stuck. Hopefully all is ok now.
I have had my woodburner on a few times, if I leave the livingroom door open it keeps the rest of the house warm. It also save us money, because OH gets the wood for free.

Mollie is it worth looking at the Johnny Ball advert, £17 a month for a new boiler over 10 yrs. I pay 13 a month for my boiler service and breakdown insurance.
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Mollie
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Wigan in Lancashire
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03-10-2013, 03:01 AM
29

Re: Central Heating

Shaz I don't have a TV so don't see any adverts on telly. My house has never been like a sauna - if only - I could live with that!

Anyhooo to update, Wednesday evening I phoned my bank to cancel my direct debit with Home Energy Services who, in turn, told me to contact HES to let them know I was cancelling. The guy I spoke to there said that although my boiler was classified AT RISK, it wasn't in immediate danger and advised me to carry on using it. It's a long story which I won't bore you with but, in the meantime, I'm going to use the old lass when and if it does get really cold.

Me reckons there's summat not right with the system here, 'cos I reckons that anybody over 60 and who has old heating systems and on the pension should qualify. I wonder if there's an authority I can go through to question this? Hmmm, will have to have a think.
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oldbugger
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Moray Coast, Scotland.
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03-10-2013, 11:03 PM
30

Re: Central Heating

The boiler has been running for a few hours a day now for the past few weeks. It won't be long before it is running practically 24/7!!
 
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