Vulnerable health with no hot water or heating for two days in the UK

I have had no heating or hot water for two days.

It has been a very cold spell in the UK.

I am bipolar and am a chronic asthmatic. I had a chest infection even before the boiler went down. The last two days have been utter MISERY. I feel so depressed and poorly. I do not get any help from any organization, just left to rot on welfare. I am too poorly to work, seriously. Too many years of neglect, hardship and poverty have left me with rather poor health earlier than should have been the case so I am now even more of a burden than I would have been if treated properly.

Coming from a poor family and not having my parents when I was a kid has left me bipolar, anxious, not able or wanting to even look at other human beings (I don't like them) and the list goes on. Actually, I don't particularly get much out of being here except when I feel musical. Right now I hate music and so have nothing.

The UK is a disgusting place now. It is getting worse, not better. People do not care any longer. It is far too selfish for a person like me to even want to be part of. I can't any way as people are too animalistic and can't handle anything different without attacking it in one way or another as my life experience proves.

Yes, these last two days have ruined my health. It has been a real struggle. My mental health is very bad now, so much so I can't talk to people other than write like this. I phoned them up to get some medication to cool me out as I have gone into a hyper anxious state. My asthma is very bad and I don't think I can go another night without calling an ambulance as my breathing is getting much worse.

You see, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs tells us clearly:

www.simplypsychology.org...

that WARMTH is a physiological primary care need of human beings.

Look what happens to asthmatics when they get too cold:

www.healthline.com...

When you have asthma, your airways, or bronchial tubes, swell up and become inflamed in response to certain triggers. Swollen airways are narrower and can’t take in as much air. That’s why people with asthma often have trouble catching their breath. Winter is an especially hard time for people with asthma. A 2014 study from China that was published in PLoS One found hospital admissions for asthma increased during the winter months. In cold climates such as Lapland, up to 82 percent of people with asthma experience shortness of breath when they exercise in cold weather.

It's not just about me. What I experienced this weekend would have killed an older person. In a sense I am considering what will happen to me in ten years time if this kind of society continues.

I am sick to death of it all. I am sick of this society. It is going down hill so fast. It is greed and selfishness that is destroying it. People have become so hard they look like nasty vicious wild animals to me and appear to behave like it, too. They no longer even particularly care about each other and loss of manners makes people appear just plain barbaric and ugly. If there is a God how ugly this must all look to Him; that He sees even when a society does have wealth it still treats its vulnerable people like dirt.

I am deeply hurt that nobody cared about me this weekend and I am drawn to realize that they are doing the same to so many more vulnerable people. The numbers of vulnerable people are growing as their GREED grows.

I feel more lost and alienated than I have EVER felt in my life. I even sent a tweet to somebody very powerful. Probably a bit out of order, but this UK is going nowhere fast. It is very difficult trying to maintain anything like normal behavior when I become hyper anxious. I have no reference point. I try desperately to control myself under such circumstances.

I feel like a right whirlwind, albeit a very cold one. Where I'm blowing nobody knows, least of all me.

The woes of bipolarity!

a reply to: Revolution9

I have no central heating at the moment as I ballsed up and ran out of heating oil before I thought and it's about £300 minimum order so it is a bit nippy but we have an open fire in the living room and a couple of those oil filled radiators to knock the edge of the rest of the house.

How long until you have the central heating back on? Get yourself in the smallest room and get some heavy blankets over the curtains to keep more heat in and try and get hold of a little electric heater, you would be amazed at how much a difference it makes. Even a couple of those little tealight/plantpot heaters will warm a room up more than you think and are really cheap.

a reply to: Revolution9

What part of the UK are you in?, I personally would speak with the local MP as every request or questions has to be addressed. You never know..


Sadly the picture you paint is very very common, The UK as I am sure you are aware is at bursting point and with the numerous cut backs to public services I think you have quite rightly said it is getting worse. The other elephant in the room is people abusing the welfare system and it leaves people like yourself who sound like you really do need help without any support group. I have also experienced the long wait for any help such as a 2 week wait to see my local GP.


The lose of local community is something that is epidemic, esp in larger cities. It is thankfully far less prevalent in the smaller rural communities. This is due to a number of reasons that would need it's own thread...


I know it is not a proper fix but filling a Nalgene bottle with hot water has got me out of numerous possible hyperthermic situations when camping as it will give a good amount of warmth for about 2-3 hours, another must have is a electric blank for the bed, they cost about £20 and peanuts to run and in a situations like yours may well get you through.. I know how sh#t my mood is when I am cold...

And I concur it has been baltic weather wise the last few days...

RA

I just got my excess paid back from the boiler company because our boiler was leaking like mad, water gushing out because some pipe was bust. It was not as cold as today but colder than it had been recently when it happened. I have M.E and need warm baths for my aching muscles.
Well, first they didn't put down that I am vulnerable, despite [trying] acting on it. That was on a Friday, telling us they would come on Saturday etc.
I say etc, because we waited in for a total of 32 hours in which someone said they would come but nobody turned up.

When I complained on the Monday, they said that they would keep us informed. They called a lot and asked how I was and promised [!] that they had the part and it would all be fixed on Wednesday [that is after having not turned up 3 times when they said they would, see above.
We would be the first in line on wednesday they said, they would come in the morning they said and nothing could go wrong they said.
Only we waited until 18:00h and then got yet another call that they won't be making it.
So on Thursday morning someone actually came and fixed it in less than 15min.

We had been without hot water the whole time. I did ask if this is the way they treat vulnerable customers, how many weeks must normal people wait?

Not with them any more. Also back 25 years, we were left for 7 weeks without hot water in a council flat, despite being pregnant and complaining a lot.

It's a real bummer. Hope you will get this sorted soon. In whichever way!

a reply to: Revolution9

Now I am getting help so it is ok.

It is that I have to SCREAM. I wish it was not like that. Sorry, i am feeling unwell and must go now. I am getting my medication sorted then I will cool out and be able to think properly.

a reply to: slider1982

Yea and they pour billions into the NHS paying even just the janitor 45k a year with 6 weeks vacation, pension, etc, etc. and they can't even implement a program to ensure people aren't dying of lack of heat during the winter months.

Half the houses in the UK are, old, really old, you'd think they would have some sort of support for something like this.

Revolution9, I'd go out grab an electric heater and a simple osculating fan. When you are home, hermit yourself in a room and use the two to heat a room, grab all your blankets and just nest up until you get things back on track, return the fan and heater when done, or keep just in case. Just an idea.

a reply to: Revolution9

It might also be worth looking to see if you qualify for a warm home discount as you might benefit from that as now you are sorted.

Youe energy suppliers website will have the details to check and if eligeble apply.

Its unfortunate that this is the case all over.
These twisted SOB's where able to cut people off of heat and electricity in the winter, up until 2 weeks ago.
A bill was finally past in Canada that this monopoly's can not remove your services in the winter any more.
Is disgusting that it took them this long to finally make this happen.

a reply to: Revolution9

The UK is a disgusting place now. It is getting worse, not better.

Hear, hear.

We let the business men take over.

We started rolling downhill, gently at first.

Now we're in free fall.

a reply to: Revolution9

I've been there, know the feeling and all I can say is you gotta make the best. It is sickening how the rich are getting richer as more people are being plunged into conditions like you describe. Did anyone ever seriously expect a Tory government to make this country 'better together'?

originally posted by: CJCrawley
a reply to: Revolution9

The UK is a disgusting place now. It is getting worse, not better.

Hear, hear.

We let the business men take over.

We started rolling downhill, gently at first.

Now we're in free fall.

Aye, and worse, the business men convinced enough of the general public that it was immigrants to blame for everything that is wrong. Because obviously it's not the business men and bankers and politicians fault everything is screwed in this country.

Makes me sad and sick to hear people falling for the 'blame the immigrants' line.

a reply to: Painterz

Yep, selling of the privatised energy companies so they end up owned by foriegn companies and in some case governments and then putting prices to the point where pensiononers freeze to death but the shareholders get richer was a particularly good idea.

a reply to: Painterz

You must be joking.

They are responsible for mass immigration.

More bodies = more moolah.

originally posted by: Zcustosmorum
a reply to: Revolution9

I've been there, know the feeling and all I can say is you gotta make the best. It is sickening how the rich are getting richer as more people are being plunged into conditions like you describe. Did anyone ever seriously expect a Tory government to make this country 'better together'?

As opossed to a Labour government,ha ha don't make me laugh.
They encouraged people to go on sickness benefits and left them on it for years unchecked.
Trust me,I was one of them from 2000-2012 until the Tory's kicked my ass off it.
Now I'm stuck in a # job for minimum wage on a building site with mental and physical problems doing a labouring job.
I have a trade,gas utility industry tickets and a banksman ticket.
All of this is done through a robbish agency so I don't know where or how long my next job will last.
Get a grip man,anyone can go to an agency in a city and been in work very quickly you don't want to work- just winge.
Get off your ass and look for work,it might warm you up a bit of exercise.
The problem is your likes(of which I was one)don't want a job just hand outs.
Oh and by the way I'm not a Tory voter or supporter.

a reply to: Revolution9

I have asthma too, so I can imagine how bad is that. Also went through similar situation many years ago.

I only want to know you are ok, please let us know.

a reply to: Revolution9

Sorry to hear that you are cold.

Are your housemates finding it difficult as well? Do you have any? I'm only asking because my friends who work at Goldman Sachs have to flatshare, because they don't do as well as people on benefits.

Are you classed as disabled? Then you would qualify for a free BMW to park outside your free house. You could drive around in that for a while with the heating turned up.

It's terrible the way the tax payers in the UK don't give enough to people in your situation. Some of them pay as little as two thirds of their income in taxes!

Have you tried putting on a jumper?

originally posted by: glen200376

originally posted by: Zcustosmorum
a reply to: Revolution9

I've been there, know the feeling and all I can say is you gotta make the best. It is sickening how the rich are getting richer as more people are being plunged into conditions like you describe. Did anyone ever seriously expect a Tory government to make this country 'better together'?

As opossed to a Labour government,ha ha don't make me laugh.
They encouraged people to go on sickness benefits and left them on it for years unchecked.
Trust me,I was one of them from 2000-2012 until the Tory's kicked my ass off it.
Now I'm stuck in a # job for minimum wage on a building site with mental and physical problems doing a labouring job.
I have a trade,gas utility industry tickets and a banksman ticket.
All of this is done through a robbish agency so I don't know where or how long my next job will last.
Get a grip man,anyone can go to an agency in a city and been in work very quickly you don't want to work- just winge.
Get off your ass and look for work,it might warm you up a bit of exercise.
The problem is your likes(of which I was one)don't want a job just hand outs.
Oh and by the way I'm not a Tory voter or supporter.

Making judgements on what someone can or cannot do eh? way to go you!

You used this just to moan about your own crappy situation so why not take your own advice and do something about it, get a decent job that does not make you bitter and grumpy maybe?

Vulnerable health with no hot water or heating for two days in the UK

There ARE tons of how to videos on youtube on how to make solar heaters.

Having lots of money isn't required.

originally posted by: neo96
Vulnerable health with no hot water or heating for two days in the UK

There ARE tons of how to videos on youtube on how to make solar heaters.

Having lots of money isn't required.

Neither the people or the houses are really built for cold weather over here, it dropped to minus 3-5 last night out of the blue so although not bad it is bad for over here lol.

when you live in a world with central heating and elevctic on tap it is easy to become complacent and not be prepeared unfortunatley.

a reply to: nonspecific

There are alternative means to heating and cooling.

Of course it depends on a few variables such as space.

Natural heating and cooling as simple and running some pvc pipe in the ground and using the difference between air temp and ground temp to heat and cool a dwelling with some type of fan.

Essentially free with exception of the build cost, but no monthly cost.

Obviously someone that lives in an apartment wouldn't be able to implement it.

Basically a heatsink to store energy.