[pendy]

I can't understand why, in the "old days", when houses were heated by a coal fire in one room, very few people died of hypothermia. I can remember waking up with frost on the INSIDE of the window. The cost of heating is quite frightening, even when you are working, so for pensioners it must be horrendous. I do pay by direct debit, then I know how much goes out each month, but whether I will be able to afford the same level once I retire, I really don't know. Good insulation is important, as are well fitting doors and windows. We used to put insulating tape round the edges of doors to keep out drafts (I've done that in Ossy recently), and most houses had a thick curtain hanging behing the front and back doors to keep out drafts. Perhaps we've got too used to being able to wear a T-shirt in the sitting room in the middle of January - I'm certainly collecting cardies for my old age!