General Chat

Bit too much thunder and lightning about for my liking and I am getting a bit worried.

Worried - you Sharron, surely not!

Me too Sharron. Not frightened of them but they are made to be to noisy these days.

Thunder storms put the power off. I have a profiling bed, air mattress and hoist. If it goes off in the night I have to get the old man into a nursing home quite quickly.

I have dealt with it during the day but have never yet had to do it during the night and I am not particularly keen to have my debut tonight.

Hope it doesn't happen Sharron - we all have anxieties in our lives, don't we!

Don't we just. I always loved thunder storms and would go down to the sea to watch them.

Now they are the hardest thing I have to deal with.

Hope all stays well Sharron, that is quite a worry.

Lights flickered here, but it passed over (eventually)

Sharron, hope things were ok for you last night.
Well haven't seen lighting or heard thunder like it for years and it went on for a good couple of hours, kept knocking the tv out and there was me trying to watch the final of " Great British bake off " :-|

'Thunder is caused by God smashing rocks with a sledge hammer'.

That was my mum's attempt to pacify her young brood during such storms.

I think it was covered by the ' sailors throwing their cheese in the cupboard' that explained the noise of naval gunnery practice in Pompey.

Sharron. Are you on the Priority Register. It is free via your elec supplier.

The Priority Services Register is a scheme which offers extra free services to people who are of pensionable age, are registered disabled, have a hearing or visual impairment, or have long term ill-health. It is run by energy suppliers.

Services which might be available include:

- a service more tailored to your needs. For example, you can ask to have your bills and meter readings in Braille, large type or audio tape
- moving your meter free of charge to make it easier for you to access
- having controls or adaptors provided to make your meter or appliances easier to use
- free quarterly meter readings if you tell your supplier you can’t read it yourself
- priority reconnection if your supply is interrupted and advance notice if they have to stop your supply
- alternative facilities for cooking and heating if your energy supply is interrupted
- additional protection from bogus callers with a password protection scheme
- arranging for your bills to be sent or copied to someone else, such as a carer, who can help you read and check them
- free advice and information about the services available because of your age, disability or chronic illness.

More details on CAB website :-) :-)

John, thank you for putting this up, I will let my friend know as I know it will help her and that she is unaware of it.

ZZzzz. I rather expect Sharron knows about this, but really put it up because a lot of people are unaware about it.

The reason I know about it is that a lady in church in her 80's was asked for £500 to move her gas meter to where she could read it. Suppliers often phone elderly customers and ask for reads there and then - and they cannot easily get down (or up) any more.

We found the Priority Register and she had job done for free. Gas meter is now at side of her chair and is covered by a rather pretty curtain :-) :-)

I would just add that very few people use passwords with their energy supplier. This is so important when you get old and/or frail. No one ringing or calling is inconvenienced in the slightest if you demand your password before you answer or let them in. And you can change the password as often as you like. The same elderly lady now insisted her meter reader says her password which is "Hello beaut" :-D The girl calling her from the office must have had real difficulty. ;-)

We are on the register but they can't work miracles.

Our supply is a priority in a power cut but they can only do what they can do.

I am toying with the idea of contacting SAFFA again to see if they could get me help to buy a generator since we are in danger of power cuts this winter.

I have rung SSAFA and have somebody coming to see me next week.

As we are predicted several power cuts this winter I think it might be sensible to buy a generator and am happy to accept a bit of help toward it.

It is not as if we haven't paid enough tax between us all.