I’m eating cold rice pudding so as not to use the microwave. But will it make a dent in the bills?

theguardian.com:

This winter, I’ll be wearing an extra jumper and the heating won’t be going on until it’s cold enough to see my breath. Even then, it will be timed to go on when I’ve done a wash and I need to dry laundry. Life is going to get a lot more harsh. At the moment I’m paying £95 a month, and a few months back it was £66. I’m just about covering my bills and I don’t know what happens when the changes announced on Friday hit – I’m looking at £200 a month.

I’ve lived on benefits for years – I’m a single mum to two autistic children – and I’ve never felt poor. But actually, I am at the point where I’m thinking: is it cheaper to do a small wash or one big wash? Do I need to put the lights on? Who knows if they’ll make a dent in the bill, though.

Today I had cold rice pudding because I didn’t want to use the microwave. When I boil the kettle, I fill a flask up, so I can have another cup of tea later or some instant soup for lunch. The other day, I boiled some eggs in the same pan I was cooking pasta. Frozen veg seems to cook quicker and I do it all in one pan, and I’m certainly not cooking a roast dinner at the moment. It’s about scrimping and saving where I can to minimise that initial shock.

I got absolutely soaked in the rain earlier, but I don’t use my hairdryer any more. In January, when it’s pouring with rain, normally the heating would go on, and I’ll hang my bag and coat on the radiator to dry them out. Not this winter. I’ll stuff them with newspaper and hope they don’t go a funny colour or start to smell. I know how many steps there are in my house and how to get around in the dark, so I don’t need to put the lights on. These are the realities of this price increase.

I will almost certainly be buying less food, or food that is