There's a lot of discontent around the council estates here in N Wales over the fact that tenants have been forced as in no choice to have air pumps fitted. Apparently you get down to these low temps and a good old fashioned emersion heater kicks in to provide most of the energy needed for hot water and heating because the pumps alone can't provide it and when it drops to minus figures it's almost useless and costing a lot more than their old gas oil coal heating. People need hot water for showers baths washing machines brewing up central heating etc and sucking the last remnants of warm air out of these very low temperatures isn't easy or efficient hence the old fashioned emersion heater providing most of the heat and that costs a lot of money! A lot more than they were paying before and not getting as much heat and hot water. Most people didn't even know about the emersion heater.
Having written that lot out just spoken to someone who started going on about the cold and
I asked how he was getting on with his air pump... he's quite happy with it
apart from it being much more expensive.
Said the people who are having problems are living in very badly insulated properties.
-- Edited by jackb on Monday 18th of November 2024 08:44:00 AM
Syl said
Nov 18 12:13 PM, 2024
A lot of council properties are badly insulated, as are rented properties, getting repairs and updates can be nigh on impossible, these people will be the ones to suffer, as will pensioners who can't move around as much and feel the cold more.
I think everyone agrees that giving all pensioners, some are very wealthy, the heating allowance, was wasteful, but the system they are using now, is disqualifying many who are a couple of ££ over the meagre allowance, or the ones fast using up their savings to afford the ever-increasing bills.
And I wish this pathetic government would stop lying about the amount pensioners get in their state pension.
Older ones get a lesser amount than what they state, and a good % of pensioners are not on the full rate anyway....those who were self employed or were carers for eg, which rules out many.
jackb said
Nov 18 7:48 PM, 2024
Temperatures are well below for the time of year and I can certainly feel it out there!
Will we be waking up to snow I'm wondering.
1 degree at the moment and possibly minus 3 in a few hours.
jackb said
Nov 18 8:33 PM, 2024
snowing... only light at the moment but everyone's expecting it to get
a lot heavier before the nights out.
jackb said
Nov 18 9:42 PM, 2024
Another half hour of this and I'm definitely snowed in!
Syl said
Nov 18 11:42 PM, 2024
Snowing here, and sticking too. 1c and it's not even midnight yet.
Magica said
Nov 19 12:05 PM, 2024
We had heavy rain, sleet then snow❄, one after another. Not settled though thankfully.
Syl said
Nov 19 12:18 PM, 2024
Magica wrote:
We had heavy rain, sleet then snow❄, one after another. Not settled though thankfully.
It's like a winter wonderland here...all white and lovely, bloody freezing though. It's still only 1c.
Torn between staying in and warm, or going out as planned.
Magica said
Nov 19 12:57 PM, 2024
Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
We had heavy rain, sleet then snow❄, one after another. Not settled though thankfully.
It's like a winter wonderland here...all white and lovely, bloody freezing though. It's still only 1c.
Torn between staying in and warm, or going out as planned.
I went out early this morning, glad as it's damn cold now. Stew for dinner yum!
Syl said
Nov 19 1:03 PM, 2024
Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
We had heavy rain, sleet then snow❄, one after another. Not settled though thankfully.
It's like a winter wonderland here...all white and lovely, bloody freezing though. It's still only 1c.
Torn between staying in and warm, or going out as planned.
I went out early this morning, glad as it's damn cold now. Stew for dinner yum!
Lovely winter food...how do you make it Mags?
Decided we are going out, the motorways are clear of snow, so we are sticking to our plans.
See you later. xx
Maddog said
Nov 19 1:39 PM, 2024
Going to be sunny and 75F here today..🌞
Magica said
Nov 19 4:22 PM, 2024
Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
We had heavy rain, sleet then snow❄, one after another. Not settled though thankfully.
It's like a winter wonderland here...all white and lovely, bloody freezing though. It's still only 1c.
Torn between staying in and warm, or going out as planned.
I went out early this morning, glad as it's damn cold now. Stew for dinner yum!
Lovely winter food...how do you make it Mags?
Decided we are going out, the motorways are clear of snow, so we are sticking to our plans.
See you later. xx
I just put all the veg, onions, in a big saucepan, put in pearl barley, and lots of pepper seasoning and lots of gravy to thicken it. Leave it on the hob simmering for maybe couple hours, all depends, maybe less. When it's all ready, I put in the dumplings and boil the potatoes. I always cook the meat separately as I'm a veggie. Oh Syl it's yum 😋 and so filling.
Syl said
Nov 19 7:05 PM, 2024
Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
We had heavy rain, sleet then snow❄, one after another. Not settled though thankfully.
It's like a winter wonderland here...all white and lovely, bloody freezing though. It's still only 1c.
Torn between staying in and warm, or going out as planned.
I went out early this morning, glad as it's damn cold now. Stew for dinner yum!
Lovely winter food...how do you make it Mags?
Decided we are going out, the motorways are clear of snow, so we are sticking to our plans.
See you later. xx
I just put all the veg, onions, in a big saucepan, put in pearl barley, and lots of pepper seasoning and lots of gravy to thicken it. Leave it on the hob simmering for maybe couple hours, all depends, maybe less. When it's all ready, I put in the dumplings and boil the potatoes. I always cook the meat separately as I'm a veggie. Oh Syl it's yum 😋 and so filling.
Mmmm, sounds good.
I do more or less the same, I just chuck everything in the same pan because neither of us is veggie, and when I do it for family, I just use a bigger pan.
I feel like a stew now, haven't had one so far this year, but I think it's time I dusted off the big pan. x
jackb said
Nov 19 7:19 PM, 2024
We have a lot of soups and stews this time of year.
We fry the meat and onions first then go from there.
The meat is only fried lightly to seal in the juices.
We are using the slow cooker more and more which makes it all very easy.
Syl said
Nov 19 7:26 PM, 2024
jackb wrote:
We have a lot of soups and stews this time of year. We fry the meat and onions first then go from there. The meat is only fried lightly to seal in the juices. We are using the slow cooker more and more which makes it all very easy.
I always intend to fry the meat first to seal in the juices, I never do.
I do tend to leave a stew on the pan for ages though, I wait till the gravy is thick and the meat dead tender, (and my mouth is watering now)
Vita said
Nov 21 1:53 AM, 2024
Freezing cold here and apparently it's going to get colder.
My father was very cheerful yesterday when he said "I won't survive this winter"
🙄
Anyway...
I told him enough of that talk because it's only a few months until I contact Buckingham Palace about the telegram from the King.
60 years married, good grief!!
Syl said
Nov 21 11:58 AM, 2024
Vita wrote:
Freezing cold here and apparently it's going to get colder.
My father was very cheerful yesterday when he said "I won't survive this winter"
🙄
Anyway...
I told him enough of that talk because it's only a few months until I contact Buckingham Palace about the telegram from the King.
60 years married, good grief!!
I didn't know people got a telegram from the king for being married 60 years Vita, I thought it was only for their 100th birthday, Congrats to your mum and dad...tell him to hang in there.
Next week I and OH will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, hopefully we will be like your mum and dad and get to 60 one day.
Syl said
Nov 21 5:29 PM, 2024
It's snowing again...1c.
Vita said
Nov 22 1:59 AM, 2024
Syl wrote:
Vita wrote:
Freezing cold here and apparently it's going to get colder.
My father was very cheerful yesterday when he said "I won't survive this winter"
🙄
Anyway...
I told him enough of that talk because it's only a few months until I contact Buckingham Palace about the telegram from the King.
60 years married, good grief!!
I didn't know people got a telegram from the king for being married 60 years Vita, I thought it was only for their 100th birthday, Congrats to your mum and dad...tell him to hang in there.
Next week I and OH will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, hopefully we will be like your mum and dad and get to 60 one day.
I've got to send the marriage certificate in Syl, about six weeks in advance.
I'll have to buy one because my mother "can't find it" actually she knows fine where it is but is being awkward.
Same as she doesn't want their fotie in the local paper because people will say "look at those two auld gits"
No party, they've decided to go on a wee holiday.
Vita said
Nov 22 2:01 AM, 2024
I took Shorty out yesterday but we didn't venture far because it was awfy slippy looking.
Having written that lot out just spoken to someone who started going on about the cold and
I asked how he was getting on with his air pump... he's quite happy with it
apart from it being much more expensive.
Said the people who are having problems are living in very badly insulated properties.
-- Edited by jackb on Monday 18th of November 2024 08:44:00 AM
I think everyone agrees that giving all pensioners, some are very wealthy, the heating allowance, was wasteful, but the system they are using now, is disqualifying many who are a couple of ££ over the meagre allowance, or the ones fast using up their savings to afford the ever-increasing bills.
And I wish this pathetic government would stop lying about the amount pensioners get in their state pension.
Older ones get a lesser amount than what they state, and a good % of pensioners are not on the full rate anyway....those who were self employed or were carers for eg, which rules out many.
Will we be waking up to snow I'm wondering.
1 degree at the moment and possibly minus 3 in a few hours.
a lot heavier before the nights out.
It's like a winter wonderland here...all white and lovely, bloody freezing though. It's still only 1c.
Torn between staying in and warm, or going out as planned.
I went out early this morning, glad as it's damn cold now. Stew for dinner yum!
Lovely winter food...how do you make it Mags?
Decided we are going out, the motorways are clear of snow, so we are sticking to our plans.
See you later. xx
I just put all the veg, onions, in a big saucepan, put in pearl barley, and lots of pepper seasoning and lots of gravy to thicken it. Leave it on the hob simmering for maybe couple hours, all depends, maybe less. When it's all ready, I put in the dumplings and boil the potatoes. I always cook the meat separately as I'm a veggie. Oh Syl it's yum 😋 and so filling.
Mmmm, sounds good.
I do more or less the same, I just chuck everything in the same pan because neither of us is veggie, and when I do it for family, I just use a bigger pan.
I feel like a stew now, haven't had one so far this year, but I think it's time I dusted off the big pan. x
We fry the meat and onions first then go from there.
The meat is only fried lightly to seal in the juices.
We are using the slow cooker more and more which makes it all very easy.
I always intend to fry the meat first to seal in the juices, I never do.
I do tend to leave a stew on the pan for ages though, I wait till the gravy is thick and the meat dead tender, (and my mouth is watering now)
Freezing cold here and apparently it's going to get colder.
My father was very cheerful yesterday when he said "I won't survive this winter"
🙄
Anyway...
I told him enough of that talk because it's only a few months until I contact Buckingham Palace about the telegram from the King.
60 years married, good grief!!
I didn't know people got a telegram from the king for being married 60 years Vita, I thought it was only for their 100th birthday, Congrats to your mum and dad...tell him to hang in there.
Next week I and OH will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, hopefully we will be like your mum and dad and get to 60 one day.
I've got to send the marriage certificate in Syl, about six weeks in advance.
I'll have to buy one because my mother "can't find it" actually she knows fine where it is but is being awkward.
Same as she doesn't want their fotie in the local paper because people will say "look at those two auld gits"
No party, they've decided to go on a wee holiday.
I took Shorty out yesterday but we didn't venture far because it was awfy slippy looking.
Very cold, she had her new sheepskin coat on.
We looked like we were off to the North Pole.