A cold winter lies ahead for Mayo

A MAYO WOMEN'S DIARY: BARBARA DALY

THERE are predictions of costs of €50 per bag of coal and gas and electricity bills which are up 50% on two years ago.

A cold winter lies ahead.

Will it be back to basics, where we only heat one room in the house and we all huddle around the log burning stove, wearing woolly jumpers, hats and gloves in bed?

Already I am trying to think of how we are going to reduce our gas and electricity usage.

I am thinking of how I am going to convince Gary to turn off the TV every time he leaves the room and to limit the amount of time he keeps the gas fire on.

Gary is Australian and he feels the cold, but this winter he might just have to acclimatise pretty quickly.

I usually have a bath every night in the winter. I love it as it is my time out at the end of the day.

Now I am thinking I will not be doing this except as an occasional treat. A quick dash in and out of the shower will be far more energy-efficient.

Part of me wonders are we too dependent on our conveniences and our over-heated homes. Maybe it will be good to get back to basics and toughen up a bit.

But then I think of the stress these bills will put on the elderly in particular. They feel the cold more and those with small pensions and barely enough to get by on will struggle this winter.

They do not need to get back to basics. They need to be able to keep their heating on for as long as is needed, to boil the kettle as often as they want and to watch TV all day if it keeps them company.

They deserve that much and for those living alone, heat and power are particularly important. I can make an adventure and a challenge of it for my family but there are those who can’t and should not have to.

So we have to hope for a mild winter and a lifeline from the upcoming budget.

Will the government get it right and really help those most in need?

Otherwise it is multiple layers of clothes, chilly bedrooms and quick showers for the winter ahead.

It is also added stress, illness, loneliness and poverty for those most vulnerable in our country. Cold indeed.