Myself, I have banished my cooker which includes all fresh meat or poultry products and baked pies.

I mainly eat every second day with sandwiches and cold products from processed packets or tins. Sometimes I dare use my toaster or my microwave to cook scramble eggs on toast or even heat up beans to top it up.

My hot water supply is permanently switched off.

Every morning I boil a full electric kettle for my teapot – the excess hot water I use for my daily wash.

If I need to wash clothes, I dare to momentarily use the electric shower unit to fill up a bucket for a hand-wash. I wash all my dishes in cold water. My heating is off so instead I comfy myself with a warm sleeping bag.

Recent reports now inform us about other ways in which we can save on our electricity costs.

Switch off all remote devices within your home – TV, Sky or otherwise boxes, a DVD player that you hardly use but is always on standby.

Apparently even our charging points or a microwave that is not in use are all sucking out our energy costs twenty four hour seven whilst we sleep at around more than one hundred and fifty pounds a year.

Over the next few months things will get bad and many will notice and suffer from this high cost of living.

It is expected to become even worse after October.

Means not only many small business’s failing but a high rise in poverty – child neglect and even evictions.

Struggling people will have a lot less to spend for having to give up most of their wages or pensions to giant energy suppliers which in turn will mean less money going into our already failing high street.

Whilst our government don’t care and the rich get richer - this will all prove to be devastating for our future economy and lifestyle.

CHRISTINE PETERS

Wellington Road, Bournemouth