The Rising Cost of Living

In these challenging times it is important to arm yourself with knowledge and resources to help anyone who is struggling to keep up with the increasing cost of living

The rising cost of living is having a devastating effect on many people across the UK, with disabled people and those in low income households feeling the effects most acutely. The damaging effects of the rise in energy costs is hitting the nation hard, and it is about to get harder to heat homes, feed families, pay for necessary care needs, participate in activities and look after our mental health. The constant worry and stress that comes with struggling to pay bills or worrying about how to feed the family for a week will take its toll, and this is something that as occupational therapists you will no doubt encounter over the coming months. Arming yourself with knowledge on grants and funding available that could help will go some way to alleviating concerns, and any tips on how to minimise energy costs can be passed on to clients to help them manage daily energy costs. We have put together some information and tips to help you offer your clients some useful energy saving ideas.

If your clients live in an old or draughty house, heat will be escaping rapidly when the heating on. If it is not double glazed already, it is worth looking into grants to help with this. Alternatively, they can also invest in secondary glazing which is sheets of clear Perspex that attach to the window frame, insulating the home at a more affordable cost. Recommend buying draught excluders for the bottom of doors to ensure they are keeping as much heat as possible in and make sure curtains are closed at night to keep out the cold.

Advise clients to ensure that when they wash their clothes to make sure that it is a full load, fuller loads mean using the washing machine less. Washing clothes at 30C will also save energy and is also better for the environment. If they have the means to dry clothes outside take advantage of this as much as possible. Tumble dryers are expensive to run so if it is possible to dry clothes on a drying rack or outside, recommend they take the opportunity. If dishwashers have an Eco setting, always opt for this as it will save energy too.

For tea and coffee drinkers, it is worth recommending them to try to be conscious of how far they fill the kettle. Overfilling the kettle to more than you need wastes energy every time you turn it on to heat all that water, if just one cup of tea is needed just heat that amount of water, or make a pot of tea and pop a tea cosy over it to keep it warm so many cups of tea can be enjoyed over the morning.

There is debate about how much energy is lost when appliances are left on standby when plugged in, and by all accounts it is very little with modern appliances. However, in these times we don’t want to waste even a penny, so recommending to clients that they switch everything off at the plug socket when not in use to be on the safe side is advised. Light bulbs should be switched to LED bulbs, these are more expensive initially to buy, but they last a long time and are far more efficient to run. Remember to turn all the lights off is something that can be easily forgotten, this is where voice-activated devices like Alexa can come in handy by setting reminders to go off at certain times during the day.

Bargain hunting is a great way to save money. The art of yellow sticker buying has never been more needed. Seeking out reduction aisles in the local supermarket can be a great way to reduce shopping costs and buying items from there that can be frozen is a great way of stocking up the freezer for future meals. Planning meals for the week to a budget will also help clients to reduce their costs.

There is some government support in place already: 1 Every household will receive a £400 discount on the energy bills. This will be delivered in the form of six monthly payment discounts beginning in October 2022. For those who pay by direct debit this discount will come off the monthly payment, and for those on a prepaid meter this will be delivered via a voucher or a cheque in the post. 2 Any household in council tax band A-D should have already received a one-off payment of £150 to help with energy bills. 3 Anyone receiving benefits, including: universal credit, income-based jobseekers allowance, incomerelated employment and support allowance, income support, working tax credit, child tax credit, pension credit are entitled to a cost-of-living payment of £650. This being delivered in two payments, the first payment of £326 should have already been paid in July and the date for the second payment is still being determined. 4 All households that receive the winter fuel payment and have at least one pensioner living there will receive a payment of £300 in November or

December. Most energy suppliers have hardship funds in place to help those who need it most. If your client is struggling to keep up with energy bills ensure they do not just stop paying them, ask them to speak to their supplier to work out a payment plan as this will mean they are legally protected. Recommend looking into the winter fuel payment, cold weather payment and the warm home discount. These funds are there to help people afford to heat their homes through the winter weather, so make sure they are not missing out. If an oxygen concentrator is used in the home they are entitled to a rebate for the electricity it uses. This rebate comes from the company who supplies the device, so be sure that they are claiming this. Martin Lewis runs the well-known website MoneySavingExpert.com and this is a great resource of information and advice on saving money in all aspects of life, so it is worth pointing your clients in that direction for further research. These next few months will take their toll on many people. The stress and anxiety from constant money worries will adversely affect people’s mental wellbeing, it is important to be aware of your client’s mental health in these times and to take any appropriate measures to help them through this.