Sarah Lasenby
When in the summer we heard the news of many people getting poorer and that they would find the cost of gas shooting up, we thought we might do something in solidarity with those really unable to meet the increased cost of utilities; in particular gas for heating. We can afford to pay our bills but by doing without gas heating we will only be presented with small bills for cooking on the hob. This will help us to pay for the rise in our electricity bills.
So we did not put the heating on (except a fan heater to wash by). Soon the house grew cold and chilly, I was very surprised just how cold and damp the house got and thought of those really suffering. I hope they are able to get to a warm hub Then some days later it got rather cold damp and nothing dried in doors.
You may want to know how we manage ? We certainly could not manage without our ‘therm’ bags*. I hope some of the people who read my article in Age UK Engage magazine are now using them if only to allow them to turn down their heating and still not suffer from hypothermia.
It’s a relief that it is now a bit warmer. It is a very informative exercise as I had not idea what an unheated house in the winter was like. Our good insulation is now keeping the cold in!
* Therm Bags are 14X14 Cm of cotton cloth with 580grams of wheat seed. Heat the bag up in a microwave for 2mins. Take care not to overheat it. Wheat seed can be obtained in Uhuru Shop on Cowley Road near the Plain.
These bags are much more comfortable that hot water bottles and much cheaper to heat. Clutch them to your body and put plenty of rugs over to keep you and the bag warm. We find that these bags totally prevent hypothermia.
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Forty-Three Newsletter • Number 525 • January 2023
Oxford Friends Meeting
43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW
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