Why can't Britain deal with snow?

We all knew it was coming, so why couldn't we handle it?

If you live in the UK, you would have experienced (or at least heard about) the recent snowfall that has left many areas with up to 8 inches of snow. Warnings were issued, roads were gritted and shoppers panic-bought, with a Tesco store in Aberdare, South Wales selling out of bread and milk the night before. But despite all of the preparations and heads-up that the snow was coming, when it actually came the country came to a virtual stand-still. But why? Why after all these years of getting snow during the winter can Britain not seem to cope with it?

Bread, milk, fruit and fresh meat all sold out in stores across South Wales

(Image source - ITV)

Services

In the days before the snowfall gritters across the country were out in force, making sure all of the main roads were clear. But it seems that’s where they stopped; the main roads. It’s understandable that main roads are made a priority and that budgets mean smaller roads can’t be gritted as much, but in many cases there is no attempt to do anything about these smaller roads and the side-streets. It’s all well and good to make sure the major roads are cleared for traffic, but if the traffic can’t get from the smaller roads to the main ones then what’s the point?

Instead of cancelling trains in advance, why can't providers do something about snow-covered tracks?

(Image source - Metro)

Another service that is also often affected by the snow is transport. As with cars, if roads aren’t safe for buses to drive along then they can’t run. But trains run on tracks, which are never as badly affected by snow as roads. Yet last week, as the snow hit, many services were either delayed severely or cancelled completely. In some cases, trains were cancelled before the snow had actually hit. Rather than preparing for the snow by cancelling trains, why couldn’t providers actually do something to allow their trains to run in the snow?  


Attitude

Whilst a lot of people hate the way snow disrupts normal-day life, many others embrace it, as it gives them the ‘snow day’. The day where it is ‘impossible’ to get to work so you’ll just have to stay at home. For many people that is true because, as mentioned earlier, a lack of gritting on side-streets means many people can’t safely get to work. And with retail workers, if people can’t get to the store to shop then there’s no reason for the store to open. But in many cases, people can get to work. People with access to main roads can easily drive to their offices and places of work. Those who use public transport can get a train and get to work. And those who walk can, well, walk.

Snow doesn't stop everyone from getting to work, so why do so many take the day off?

(Image source - BBC News)

There is a general feeling across the country that when it snows we can’t do anything. But we can, if we just made the effort, and if transport providers made the effort too.


Media

As has already been said, the newspapers have been talking about the incoming snow for weeks. During the past few days, the reports on the weather during news programmes have featured several stories about the snow and residents trying to deal with it, all of which can be simplified to ‘There’s snow’. There seems to be a media frenzy when it comes to the snow. News outlets all seem to be telling us how bad the snow is and how devastating it has been, leading to public panic and the view that they can’t do anything because of the snow.

Should a bit of snow really be making the front pages?

(Image source - Daily Express)

There are many developed countries across the world who are capable of functioning despite heavy snowfall on a regular basis. Surely Britain can find a way to cope for the handful of days every year it snows, especially when everyone knows about it weeks in advance.

Parents turn off heating to feed kids

New figures show how fuel poverty is rising

One in four families are having to turn off their heating to afford to feed their children due to rises in energy bills.

A survey conducted by the Energy Bill Revolution campaign has revealed the startling figure, along with others that highlight just how much fuel poverty in the UK is rising. According to the results, 45% of adults are using blankets and extra layers to keep warm, and nearly half of parents are turning the heating off whilst their children are out. Another shocking figure shows that a fifth of parents claim their children have been getting ill more regularly due to living in a colder house.

The cost of heating is starting to get too much for many families

(Image source - Metro)

The survey was aimed at 1000 members of the Netmums website, with 88% of them stating they more concerned with energy bills now than they were last year. Sally Russell, the founder of Netmums, said 'With almost nine in 10 families now rationing energy use due to spiralling prices, this signals a new winter of discontent for British families.'

Fuel poverty is an issue that has started to affect more and more people and is something Home Reheat has regularly discussed, with recent articles looking at how nearly 300,000 homes will be dragged into fuel poverty this winter and how elderly people will be hit the worst. 

Winter is coming!

Temperatures set to hit 100-year low

You may have already noticed when you went to work this morning with three layers on and spent 20 minutes trying to defrost the car, but winter is here.

Temperatures have plummeted this week and are set to drop even further throughout December, with temperatures estimated at minus 3C in many places, and even as low as minus 20C in some northern areas. 

As has been in case during the last few winters, there are fears of snow blizzards closing roads and train lines, causing chaos for travellers during the festive period. Experts have also expressed concerns that the torrential rain, that has devastated many areas of Britain this week, will return early next month, hampering recovery efforts of those who have been flooded.

Snow has already hit mountainous areas, and could be on its way to the rest of us

(Image Source - The Daily Mail)

So, with temperatures dropping, now would be the time to crank up the heating. But many people are set to go without heating for extending periods over winter due to the increases in energy bills. If only there was a way to utilise and make the most of all of the heating you pay for…

Luckily, there is!

Our innovative Home Reheater recycles the warm air in your home (particularly the heat trapped in your ceiling as it naturally rises) and recirculates it back down to the rest of the room. This allows you to turn your heating down to a lower temperature and still stay warm, as the entire room will remain at one constant temperature, instead of the ceiling being the warmest, as is currently the case in homes across the country.

So there are three options this winter; turn your heating up and face the costs in the New Year, turn it off and stay horribly cold all Christmas, or invest in a Home Reheater and stay happily warm, whilst reducing your heating bill at the same time. Surely the answer is obvious?

Go to our website now and look at the 16 different designs available to find the one that suits your home. With its simple installation process your product will be up and running and saving you money in no time. And at a cost of just £39.95 it is a cheaper alternative to paying over the odds for heating that you'll only waste as it rises to the ceiling.

So stay warm and get your own back this Christmas with

Homes set to ration energy

As average bills increase, many plan to go without heat this winter

Despite temperatures set to hit a 100-year low this winter, many people will ration their heating due to price rises.

Figures show the average heating bill has increased by 63% since 2008, putting millions in ‘fuel poverty’ and leaving them with the choice of paying for heating or having money for food. Last winter, around 75% of people asked said they would turn the heating down at key times, even if they were cold, just to save money. This year, nearly 90% claim they will do this, with elderly people more likely to go without heating.

Elderly people will be hit harder by rising energy bills over winter

(Image source - This Is Money)

This is why there is worry, as it is feared many elderly people, who are more likely to stay at home for longer periods thus using more heating, might die as a result of the cold, especially those without family who live alone. There were 25,700 ‘excess winter deaths’ last year in England and Wales, with around 2500 of them said to be as a result of ‘fuel poverty’ (where over 10% of income is needed to cover energy costs).

Energy comparison site uSwitch.com believe that further the price increases that were announced by the ‘big’ energy companies like British Gas and Scottish Power last month will ‘add £753 million onto energy bills and push another 314,000 households into fuel poverty’.