Heat or Eat?

One of the main energy suppliers SSE announced yesterday an 8% rise in gas and electricity prices. Although we aren't with SSE our direct debits have gone up this month due to our fixed price deal ending last month and despite lots of searching our monthly bill has gone up by about 10%.  If we chose to heat our home modestly with central heating our bill would double instantly so no we don't heat with gas but we do have a wood burning stove and without that we would freeze.

I listened to the Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2 this lunchtime and they were discussing this.  One lady phoned in and was really struggling single, no dependents so no benefits/help, low paid job and after her bills etc she had £20 a month left over.  She survived on toast and margarine and during the winter got home from work and went to bed because it was so cold and she couldn't heat her tiny flat.

She wasn't choosing to heat or eat.  She couldn't afford to heat and could barely afford to eat.  That is not a life it is barely an existence.  David Cameron and the politicians have no idea at all what it is like for lots of people in this country spending four/five months of the year freezing, barely able to afford food, and often living very lonely miserable lives.  Where will this end?? 

So please spare a thought for others if you are lucky enough to switch the heating on when cold and to buy nice food.  Not sure how these people in food/fuel poverty can be helped but we give food to the local food bank at the toddler group we attend when I remember, so maybe there is one near you or perhaps you know someone/have a neighbour you could help.