This morning, charity Age UK published research showing just how hard pensioners are finding it this winter.
Three in four say they were cold in their own homes in January – more than nine million in total.
Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams rightly called it “a national scandal” adding: “While rising energy prices are an important reason, there’s no doubt that the changes to eligibility for Winter Fuel Payment are also contributing”.
Age UK has delivered 649,827 strong petition to No.10 Downing Street urging the Government to do more to help older people stay warm at home.
So what can struggling pensioners do themselves? There’s plenty of energy saving hacks out there, from turning the thermostat down a notch or two to wrapping up in an electric blanket.
Some of the ideas are extreme insane. Such as using crisp packets to help your home stay warm.
Mark McShane, heating expert at Boiler Cover UK, has advised that “by placing a reflective material such as an empty crisp packet behind your radiators, you can bounce heat back into your room instead of letting it escape through the walls.”
To use this method, simply cut and clean an empty crisp packet, then attach it to the wall using double-sided tape.
McShane said this will boost your radiator’s efficiency and cut heating bills.
I’m not having a pop at McShane. Anything is worth trying these days. But it has it come to this? In the UK?
It gets worse.
Crisp packets aren’t enough. Apparently, we should be reaching for the bubble wrap too.
Heating experts at Fischer Future Heat have just sent me a list of “little-known hacks to cut energy bills”.
This included putting a desk fan behind a radiator to blow warm air into the room rather than letting it rise. Saves £50 a year, apparently.
Using a microwave instead of an oven for smaller meals saves more than £100.
Switching to a time-of-use energy tariff (such as Economy 7) can halve the cost of running appliances if used overnight, saving up to £150 a year.
Even switching off you Wi-Fi router overnight cuts electricity bills by £20 to £30 annually, Fischer experts say.
Many households set fridges and freezers too cold. Adjusting a fridge to 4°C and a freezer to -18°C can save £25 to £40 annually.
All handy stuff and worth checking. Which brings me to bubble wrap.
It’s not just for packaging or having fun popping the bubbles. This versatile material can also can act like double glazing.
When stuck to windows, bubble wrap can reduce heat loss by 50% and save around £75 a year.
Again, I’m not having a pop at Fischer. Every little helps and all that. But bubble wrap? On your windows?
I’ve had friends try double glazing windows with cellophane but bubble wrap has one big drawback. I mean, what’s the point of windows if you can’t see out of them?
But that’s where we’re at. Under a Labour government. Spending £13.7billion on foreign aid while slashing the Winter Fuel Payment to save a fraction of that sum. Even if that leaves pensioners reaching for the bubble wrap. It makes my head go pop.
