My o/h has been working carrying out gas safety inspections in social housing. It's frightening the amount of homes he visits who have no gas because they just can't afford it !! Many are pensioners with key meters. Once they use the gas the pension doesn't stretch to buying more Many have gas cookers and boilers so when the gas runs out there is no heat, no hot water and no cooking

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I do not suffer fools !!!!!

Apologies about diverting this thread, but Jim's thoughts about out of touch MPs went through my mind when I saw Michael Gove (Education Sec) come out of his office and into his Govt car yesterday. While many Ministers are being driven around in Toyota Prius cars (circa £24,000 to buy and cheap to run, including £0 car tax), why does Mr Gove have a £65,000 to £80,000+ Jag? ( http://www.jaguar.com/gb/en/new_xj/ ) . I can't imagine it's for security reasons as he has only ever been sec of state for education (not a Home Secretary, Minister of Defence or northern Ireland who get security for life)

So for pensioners who can't afford heating so sit in the cold at home, they should warm themselves with the knowledge that Govt Ministers are sitting in lovely luxury cars with AC and heated seats - and the Houses of parliament are about to undergo a huge multi £million rebuild, which will include additional insulation and heating upgrades.

And for the 1000s of civil servants (like me and my colleagues) hit by redundancies and pay freezes/cuts, (we are all in this together, don't you know?) - plus the many folk hit by pre Xmas redundancies at General Foods & Tata Steel - it's also nice to know that the recession is only affecting employment terms & conditions in parts of SW1.

This Country has gone too long without real people running it, every party is so negative about real issues, (A) just dont know, (B) could not care less (C) bought up in a privileged lifestyle,(D) Totally ignorant of people outside born and bread English let down by the system, and taking second place too economic migrants that scoop the cream, how on earth in this day and age we are reduced to second class citizens, folk who have fought and died, or lost loved ones, seeing their country now being given away, we urgently need a benine dictator who can byepass all the stupid can and cant do's, and give the country back to them that built it, and say sod the do-gooders who give other peoples money away to all and sundry, charity starts at home, get that right the rest will follow.

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

Well said Jim !!!!

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I do not suffer fools !!!!!

All the energy companies need bringing back in house as a non profit making organisation. I'm not alone when I hear of multi million pound profits by the likes of British Gas and that is presumably after they have paid their chairman and shareholders a good whack.

We are also having to import gas at huge expense because Brussels says we can't burn our plentiful coal to produce cheap energy.

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Lets be careful out there !

Sod the EU I say, we are an Island race, away from all the plutocrats and wannabes, various European Countries who have envied our system over the years, have tried their luck, and came unstuck, why should we fear any any of them, William was the only guy who came close and took almost a thousand years to get back on track, now our enemies come from within, 500 years ago most of them would have been in the Tower.

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

I'd like to know why Yeo isn't confronted about his vested interests when he pops up on radio and TV.

I see the gov have approved energy companies charging us even more to invest into green energy

It's going to get a lot worse with us probably have more old people die of cold than some third word countries.

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Lets be careful out there !

So how much , is to much ? i live alone in a two bedroom house , gas for water and heating
i keep the water on perminantly
and the heating on when i am out at about 23 degrees just to keep the chill off
and turn it to max when i am in .
i have only not used my heating for about 2 weeks total this year , in the evenings
i pay £110 a month , i thought that was cheap , is it ??
whats your average bill ?

Could it be there is a Common Purpose at work?