andsome Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I have been meaning to start this thread for some time. Most of the UK is covered by a scheme called STAYWARM. If you are over 60 years of age, they will supply ALL the gas and electricity that you need for one fixed price. No matter what you use the price stays the same. The charge is based on the number of rooms in the house and the number of people living there. We have been on the scheme for a couple of years now, and save about £160 per annum. I have an idea that there is some form of government funding to the scheme. THERE ARE NO CATCHES. They don't however supply Aussies.STAYWARM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I have been a customer since the sceme first started and have never regretted it.It saves us at least £400 per year with the convenience of a standard fixed monthly direct debit payment based upon the number of people living in the house and the number of bedrooms.When I joined they accepted applications from 4 bedroom properties - but some time ago restricted it to 3 bedrooms maximum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyLynn Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 Gosh you people make me want to move to England.. everyone has healthcare they help you with your utilities when you are over 60I know it isn't perfect over there but you definitely have some things going for you that we do not over here. I am of course dumb when it comes to figuring out what american dollars figure out to your currency but what is the average wage a person makes over there? I mean minimum wage here is $5.15 I think.. do you have a minimum wage like this there? pardon my ignorance but you know I am fascinated with how life is in other countries and always wanting to learn :blush:I think this is fantastic you have help like this for folks over 60! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted May 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 We do have a legal minimum wage. I cannot remember what it is exactly, but doubtless someone will post the answer. I believe that it is somewhere between £4.50 and £5 per hour. The STAYWARM scheme is without any doubt one of the best ideas yet, and I'm surprised how many people who I tell about it who don't bother to look into it, I think they believe there may be a catch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellie2 Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 To answer your question TraceyLynneWe do have a legal minimum wage, I've worked it out into dollars for you but I don't know how accurate that is as I used a currency converter.16 -17 year olds.... this was just brought in this April to stop exploitation of younger people £3.00ph - $5.3218 - 21 £4.10ph - $7.2722 and over £4.85ph - $8.60We do have a high cost of living though, for instance we pay much more that you do in the US for petrol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyLynn Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 yes I know things are higher in cost there but you also have alot of public transportation so not everyone even owns a car right? Its like that in New York City, people don't have cars there much because it costs so much just to park it, much less try to drive it in that congested city.The cost of fuel and cigarettes astound me there... why is cigarettes so outrageous? They are like 2.52 a pack here for most brands and lower on the generic types. Is liquor and clothing expensive there too? Rent or house payments very expensive?I should start a thread for what the costs are in England instead of hijacking your thread Andsome sweetie. I just found all of this interesting. My apologies.. you know I ask a million questions because I always wanted to visit there. :blush: I just like knowing how it is for people in other parts of the world since I never got to travel much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted May 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 I don't smoke, but I believe that cigarettes are almost £5 per pack. We have the most expensive petrol in Europe. The price varies from petrol station to petrol station but is about 79 pence per litre. We also pay a high road tax in addition to the high petrol price. Public transport is good in places but practically non existent in others. We run two cars, because if we want to go to two different places it would take forever to get there by public transport. When I visit a town ten miles away in the winter to play indoor bowls, I can get there in twenty minutes by car. It would take several hours by bus, and would involve several changes. We also have the highest excise duty on liquor. A bottle of decent wine starts at about £5, although you can by RUBBISH for about £2. A pint of beer probably averages about £2 outside London. Believe me it isn't all roses here. The coat of housing has gone through the roof. We paid £2900 for our house thirty seven years ago, the price now is around £160000. To rent a small house round here would cost about £600 per month, but before my daughter left Oxford she was paying £750 per month for a hundred year old house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALBINOCAT Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 :P Mother England has one of the best safety cradle social social security systems in the world..Holland is even kinder to older citizens..The U.S. has a long way to go,unfortunately,in my opinion, to "humanise" it's medical and "safety net" social system.I am not qualified to say which of these three :ph34r: leanings is closer to the correct way, but here in AUSSIE we seem to be moulded to the British system in many respects..with the exception ..ofcourse, of illegal immigrants..lol.lol :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted May 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 If you switch to Staywarm for gas and electricity, they will arrange an inspection and a grant for insulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Besty Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 I went to Florida over the summer and everything was so much cheaper. I bought something like 15 t-shirts and jeans and other stufff for about $300 and they were good stuff which normally costs twice as much over here. I loved florida and i would love to live there....always can dream eh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 I don't qualify for the STAYWARM scheme as I'm not (quite) old enough and my house is too big but, I did a check by inputting my postcode and obtained an estimate for a three bedroom house which was an appreciably greater cost than I pay already for five bedrooms.I know this was only a guesstimate on their part but it was way, way out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djohn Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 Confused me too -pops-. Gave me an estimate £100 more than I pay now! :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Radfordin Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 "Your household energy supply is for normal domestic use. For example, you don't use energy to heat a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, greenhouse, or workshop."Thats a bit restrictive isn't it???I am many years away from being old enough to qualify but if I were this option would be at least £20 per month more than I am currently paying.No wonder OAP's moan they don't have any money :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted May 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 As I said at the beginning, when we moved to Staywarm we saved about £160 per annum, and the beauty is that we no longer need to think can we do without the heating on at present, because it is a fixed charge. We are quids in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 I'm sure you're right, andsome but, their guessestimate figures could put people off investigating further.I entered the postcode for a property in the midlands that I lived in nearly 40 years ago and the figure it gave then fitted approximately to what I would have expected.I am puzzled why postcodes make a difference to the price of utilities. Isn't there a standard rate throughout the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted May 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 I am puzzled why postcodes make a difference to the price of utilities. Isn't there a standard rate throughout the UK?I honestly don't know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tankus Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Good post andsome , Ive passed this onto my mum ....this may also be usefull Government energy saving schemesSorry its a pdf , needs adobe or another pdf readerI think its based for the Notts area , but your local council must have the equivs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 Petrol yo mean GAS :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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