Victoria S

To save on heating we've been staying in my bed during the day, with electric blanket on and extra blankets n duvets and cuddly fluffy pjs on. Playing boardgames or watching videos. Limiting ourselves to mainly one room saves a lot, but my bill was still over £130 this month. I was dreading next months bill when I realised my contract for utilities runs out this month, so I found the cheapest in my area, sticking to a 12 month contract rather than longer in case the prices go stupid again. But even then I've only managed to reduce bills to about £110 per month. £20 cheaper roughly, barely touches the sides but better than nothing. Mostly eating sarnies and snacks, picnic style, to save on turning oven on.

Finding ways to cut costs everywhere. Trying to prioritise which food items I can live without. Which room is cheapest to heat. Not even worth it to go out everyday, find a warm hub or something, cos of new bus fares.

Buses have gone up by £1 each journeys, so for us the rise means tough from £60 per month to little under £90 per month now (cos bus passes don't cover all bus routes in our town - plus needing taxis for places without near by bus routes), still struggling to get a disability pass cos my local Authority doesn't want to accept my disability means I'd be unable to drive.

Hopefully spring with come warm and early with a nice warm summer to help prepare us for next winter.

I want to start open uni part time but everytime I think I can start, something happens to prevent it. Like cos of my disabilities I need to get multiple drs notes, letters and signed Docs, each appointment is about a month's wait and each time I'm they charge £20 (and I've friends in other parts of the UK charged £40+ for these same letters). And cos I'm disabled I'm forced to take out a maintenance loan even for part time open uni study, so forced to take out more debt just cos I'm disabled. Even if I don't take the loan, my benefits will still be deducted cos I'm entitled to said maintenance whether I want the loan or not. Etc.

So plenty to keep us stressed in this cold weather.

And I'm one of the lucky ones.