FIRST a thank you for all who found the article on rabbits a couple of weeks ago helpful and intriguing.

The new Prime Minister has announced among other measures a £2500 per year average cap on domestic energy tariffs.

Commercial details still to be finalized. This is still about a £1,000 up from this time last year. And if you use more than an average user, the bill will be more.

Some politicians and commentators have said: ‘we must do more for ourselves.’

This is what I have been doing for many years, but now it is not possible with this energy market which has little to do with the real price of each type of generation, to get down to anywhere near what we paid for energy just one year ago.

And the worst thing is, much of it is self-inflicted due to no long term planning and actions over the last two decades. For example, why are we still building houses without solar-powered energy?

The Future Homes Standards must be brought forward from 2025 to 2023, which although not fully an Eco home, is 70% of the way there.

Now for some more energy saving tips: this winter many councils and parish councils are putting on their website who is opening their doors to keep warm.

Other community buildings like churches and even cafés, are opening their doors to people to come and sit and keep warm for an hour or two. Some may have tea and coffee at hand, you may have to pay for that.

Look on your council’s and church websites to see if they are taking part near you. This scheme is called, ‘warm-spaces.’

You could even do this with someone you know well, or a small group, and take it in turn to go to each other’s home to keep warm. Or join one of the many clubs there are in the country, many meet weekly, and you can keep warm there. If you did this a couple of times a week and turn your own heating right down when you’re out, this could be one way of reducing everyone’s bills.

This may sound a bit like wartimes, but we are like wartimes and not just with Russia, but with a dysfunctional energy market with its top generators pricing system that takes all policy’s, which does not reflect the true generating costs, and must be fixed as part of the problem.

This includes standing charges which have double for no reason. More tips next week.