IT’S that time of the year again; the season when I get asked the same question over and over again.
People I have never met before will come up to me in the supermarket or when I am just out for a walk. I also see the question being put to me via social media posts.
It’s something that started as a bit of a joke many years ago, but has since taken on a life of its own.
The big question is: have I got my heating on yet?
I will reveal the answer at the end, but sadly the whole issue of heating has become less and less funny.
I can’t quite remember how I became “infamous” for not putting the heating on, but it very quickly struck a chord with many BBC Spotlight viewers.
On air my colleagues gently ribbed me and I played up my part by showing exaggerated horror when anyone suggested it was time for the heating to go on.
It was a running joke throughout my entire time at Spotlight and I lost count of how many people mentioned it in the cards, letters and emails I received when I stepped down.
It was light-hearted banter, but like all good stories it was rooted in a great deal of truth; I am reluctant to turn the heating on too soon or too often. It stems from childhood memories of my late mother being constantly worried about the electricity bill.
So, although it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, I was also acutely aware that it was no laughing matter for some people, especially here in Cornwall and Devon.
We have some very old and poor quality housing stock in parts of our region and although we don’t live in the coldest part of the country, we do get a lot of damp and windy weather.
Thousands of homes don’t have proper insulation, either because the buildings are too difficult to insulate, or the cost is simply prohibitive.
It means that many people struggle to keep their homes warm and dry.
I think it’s something that needs much more attention. There is a lack of understanding about just how inefficient some of our homes are here in the South West and how much it would cost to bring them up to a better standard.
A few years’ ago I can remember watching a national BBC news programme presented by Victoria Derbyshire, in which she announced that the following day they would be broadcasting a special edition live from Camborne in Cornwall.
Ahead of the visit to Cornwall, the presenter revealed some statistics about Camborne including the high number of homes with no central heating.
She was astonished, but it didn’t surprise me in the slightest.
It’s why I have been increasingly uneasy about the decision to end the Winter Fuel Payments for most pensioners.
I fully understand the need to improve the country’s finances and there was certainly a discussion to be had about the universal nature of the payment.
For instance at the age of seventy-five, the King was technically eligible for it. Billionaires were entitled to receive it; it was a crazy set up, but I guess it was easier to administer.
I know many people who, through hard work and perhaps a bit of luck, have a very comfortable retirement income, but they were still eligible for Winter Fuel Payments.
I also know people who only have the state pension, limited savings and very old and costly electric heating. For them the Winter Fuel Payments went some way to offsetting the high cost of keeping warm.
It was odd for the government to make this particular cut such an early priority and it’s received a lot of criticism. The last thing anyone would want to do is make life harder for the oldest people in our society.
I am not sure why the payments couldn’t have been gradually reduced over the next few years to allow people to adjust to it.
I just hope for the sake of those affected and for the sake of the Government we don’t have a harsh winter.
This cut will undoubtedly be a worry for lots of pensioners but, as I mentioned, we also have many who are relatively well off and remain very fit and active. I think the word “pensioner” often conjures up someone who is frail and vulnerable.
Yet I can think of at least one person I know who is about to turn ninety and would hate to be considered frail or vulnerable.
I also have an aunt who is well into her nineties and although she has poor sight, she is otherwise very fit, walking to and from the shops most days carrying her own groceries.
And watch out anyone who gets in her way, they will feel the force of her white stick. She doesn’t slow down just because she can’t see.
So although I remain worried about the effects of cutting the Winter Fuel Payments, I also think we need to reconsider how we view old age.
It is lazy and wrong to assume all pensioners are infirm, doddery and unable to afford their heating.
But I would also urge anyone who is worried about the loss of the Winter Fuel Payment to check if you’re entitled to additional help.
In the meantime I am thankful it has been a mild autumn so far, because the answer to the big question I keep being asked is: No!
At the time of writing this as October draws to a close, I have successfully managed to avoid having the heating on. It’s been close at times, but extra layers of clothes have been deployed and I am hoping to push on well into November before flicking the switch.
I hope you’re managing to stay warm.
Bye for now!