A lot of points there.grenfell wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 10:22 amIt is obvious and common sense but how many politicians are going down the other route and calling for more government handouts to help people pay their heating bills. We have , I believe , similar political views ( but don't wish to go too deep there) and I'm not against taxation but taxing energy companies just to hand the money out for people to pay their electric and gas bills isn't sustainable and verges on maddness. I still believe dropping the idea of TEQ's was misguided.Frnc wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 9:59 amIt's stating the obvious really. If you can't afford much or any heating, of course you will be wearing as much clothes as possible. There are people who went through that cold spell recently wearing several layers and getting under the duvet, with no heating.
If people want to wear almost nothing and spend a fortune on heating, that''s up to them, but there is the climate crisis to consider as well. And of course they are contributing to higher gas and electricity prices by pushing up demand.
I'm reminded of a post on another forum a few years ago shortly after he Grenfell tower fire. It was a crass comment to be honest and went along the lines of " looking at the cost of the insulation it would have been cheaper just to give a grand to each of the residents to pay their bills". As if money solves everything and everything else , climate , resource depletion etc can just be ignored.
In my opinion the government should be insulating our homes and work places, and this should have neen happening for the last 40 years. You cannot do a Victorian house properly on your own. Ideally they need insulating on the OUTSIDE, and this will ruin the look. A difficult one. But new build regs, cavity wall insulation and loft topups are no brainers. Even a big spend on Victorian houses would pay for itself eventually.
The energy price doesn't have to be so high. The oil and gas extractors are making massive profits at the expense of the public and all other companies and businesses. They are harming the rest of the economy. Windfall tax or nationalisation would solve some of that. They have taxed them a bit and given us some towards the excessive prices. £4280 is the price without govt scheme. It's just not affordable to pensioners or low income families. It's more than triple what it was a year ago.
Global warming is probably or possibly going to annihilate modern civilisation. The politicians will never do what's needed. The future is 8 degrees, a bigger swing than the ice age. This will last for thousands of years. Already with 1.2° we've seen heat waves, forest fires, drought, flood, and perversely, extreme cold due to the polar votex weakening.