It’s another tough winter this year as inflation goes up, energy bills rise and for state pensioners in particular, the £300 Winter Fuel Payment has been switched to a means testing scheme.
While running the heating is definitely the right thing to do if you can afford it, there are, tragically, many who will be facing tough choices this winter, faced wth the loss of their £300 Cost of Living Payment which was also axed completely this year while the Winter Fuel Payment is no longer universal.
Despite the means testing, there are as many as 800,000 people who should get a Winter Fuel Payment who won’t get one because they still haven’t applied for Pension Credit, despite being eligible, according to Martin Lewis.
It means the snow, forecast next week couldn’t come at a worse time for pensioners or anyone else who can’t afford to heat their homes.
Money saving expert Martin Lewis has issued advice to households across the UK on how to stay warm in the winter without using heating.
Martin Lewis pointed out how people can wear heated USB gloves, hand warmers, an electric gilet or an electric blanket to get warm without having to heat the entire house in a guide he put together at the peak of the cost of living crisis.
Martin said: “I felt sad asking my team to put this together, but my emailbag is full of folk so desperate they can’t put the heat on, I wanted to try some help. Pls share.”
Martin added on his site: “This is a guide I really wish we needn’t be publishing. The reason I asked Sarah and the team to put this together is due to my overflowing e-mail bag of desperation from people who can’t afford their energy bills. So don’t see this as an ‘MSE or Martin says you should do this’.
“It’s more that we’re trying to help provide some options and information for those that may need to drastically cut down on energy usage due to financial desperation and some help for others who may want to do it out of a commitment to green issues.”
Martin pointed out in his guide that it costs only £14 to buy a cheap electric blanket which in turn, costs 3p an hour to run, even in the peak of the energy crisis. That equals a cost per week of £1.37 if used for seven hours a day.
An electric gilet, basically a heated jacket, would cost £46 to buy and just 4p per week to run, while USB gloves would cost 4p per week to run and just £5 to buy.
Another consumer expert Jack Monroe reached out to Martin Lewis for the guide, adding: “Thankyou for your vital and heartbreaking service, friend. I know this is taking a hell of a toll on you, please please take care of yourself out here. We need you now more than ever, but we need you well and fit for what’s to come”
Martin responded: “What lovely words – thanks Jack. Yes I’m feeling the pressure, but that’s trivial compared to the trauma many are facing being unable to afford to live.”
