Author Topic: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed  (Read 6718 times)

Half-Borg

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Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« on: October 18, 2013, 03:01:32 PM »
James Cameron told people to wear sweaters in winter to save energy and money.
I think that should be a no-brainer. You're cold? Wear some goddamn clothes!
Instead people are offended, how stupid is this?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/10388368/Downing-Street-People-faced-with-rising-energy-bills-should-consider-wearing-jumpers.html

daverobev

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2013, 03:17:25 PM »
That's David Cameron (PM of the UK) not James Cameron (director)!

'Gets hushed' hardly... it's called party politics, sigh. "Wear a hoodie" is good, though (he was mocked for 'hug a hoodie' years back).

Thing is - it *is* expensive to heat your home in the UK. "Dual fuel" bill going up to 1300 quid or something, that's $2k+ a year... energy companies are raising prices by nearly 10%! *But* the UK is cheap *for Europe*. The truth is, the cheaper something is, the more you use; the more expensive, the less (look at cars in the UK vs cars in Canada).

I guess the backlash isn't just that prices are rising - it's that prices are rising by high single-digit percentages year on year, while wages... aren't. Still - I was thinking about this the other day - £100 a month isn't *really* all that much. I mean... hot water, clean clothes, cooked food, light, power for all your gadgets... £4 a day? Pretty good...

The crux of this story is low-earners are really struggling because Council Tax goes up, heating and electricity goes up, petrol goes up, everything gets more expensive - except the pointless crap you don't need, which gets cheaper.

brewer12345

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2013, 08:52:51 AM »
Is heating in the UK predominately natural gas fuelled, or do they use something else?

lizfish

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2013, 10:51:56 AM »

The crux of this story is low-earners are really struggling because Council Tax goes up, heating and electricity goes up, petrol goes up, everything gets more expensive - except the pointless crap you don't need, which gets cheaper.

You've hit the nail on the head there. My DH and I are quite comfortably off (only beginner mustachians) and even we were shocked at how much extra we paid for energy last winter. I cannot imagine what it must be like for those on a low income.

Brewer - I don't know what the official figures are, but the majority of heating is natural gas with the exception of very remote places which use oil, or very new houses that need very little electric heating

I agree that some education is required to help people understand that you can really save quite a lot by not reaching for the on switch everyone you get cold. But of course as this is the UK it's a class thing. Mr Cameron is someone who has probably never even seen his fuel bill let alone wondered how he was going to pay it. I'd rather not take money-saving advice from him.

non geordie beth

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2013, 03:17:40 PM »
I tend to disagree with everything David Cameron says on principle. I was reading something the other day (wish I could remember what!) and there was a headline about something the Tories were doing that (gasp) seemed to make sense. Sure enough, once I read further, it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Hey ho!

That said, I really wish my DH would stop complaining about having to put a damn jumper on. It's autumn! Our flat is cold! Just deal!

daverobev

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2013, 09:10:15 PM »
Make sure you use the price comparison websites, and lock in if you can.

Also, I very much enjoyed using Ecotricity - they invest in renewable stuff. For the long term...

Looks like our electricity bills in Ontario are going up by a similar percentage, though our rates are much lower (though much of our bill is 'delivery' and other fees, rather than the price of the actual energy).

I dunno. Partially I'm outraged. But partially - holy shit, when you consider how much some people spend on cigarettes, or the lottery, or.. whatever - it's damn good value for money.

Jamesqf

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2013, 11:05:23 PM »
The objections seem to have a lot in common with all the whining about this woman and her picture: http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/maria-kang-fit-facebook-mom-accused-of-fat-shaming-with-facebook-picture-1.6284134

Zamboni

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2013, 07:18:17 AM »
Although I'm unsure if I'd be a fan of the person in the photo (who seems a narcissist and admits she used to be bulimic, which makes me wonder about her current eating patterns), the message that having kids is not an excuse to get lazy and totally out of shape is a good one.  Lots of parents do that, sitting on the side of the pool watching their child in supervised swim lessons, or sitting on the sidelines for a 1.5 h sports practice, etc. and it doesn't seem to occur to them that this is a perfect TIME to get exercise themselves.  I tend to either swim, run, or walk at these times and it's amazing how many people sitting there see me come back to pick up and say "oh wow, yeah, that's a good idea!"  I can't ever remember parents sitting and watching us practice when I was a kid, so it just seems really odd to me.  Even with a baby it's pretty easy to just push the stroller and get fit (and baby loves it!)  The hard part is getting going initially after force time of non-exercise while recovering from a c-section or mandated bedrest, but obviously it can be done. 

It's amazing how unoptimized behaviors become the norm so quickly, like wearing shorts all winter because you can turn up the heat.

martynthewolf

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2013, 11:17:26 AM »
Just to point out that apparently Cameron said nothing of the sort. IT was the energy minister Ed Davey that when asked, said he wore a jumper at home to keep energy bills down. Ed Davey didn't even say other people should do as he does. IT was a No. 10 spokesman later on that said maybe it was good advice to follow.

Of course the advice is good, however people who are piss poor really don't want to be patronised by some jumped up politician who has never had to worry about money in their lives. As others have said, the outrage by the general population is a symptom of the atrocious labour market and salary/pay conditions.

ducknalddon

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2013, 11:25:31 AM »
Of course the advice is good, however people who are piss poor really don't want to be patronised by some jumped up politician who has never had to worry about money in their lives. As others have said, the outrage by the general population is a symptom of the atrocious labour market and salary/pay conditions.

I don't know Ed Davey but looking at his wikipedia profile there is nothing to suggest he is wealthy. Politicians statements need to be viewed with a critical eye but we shouldn't jump to conclusions.

Jamesqf

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2013, 11:34:09 AM »
It's amazing how unoptimized behaviors become the norm so quickly, like wearing shorts all winter because you can turn up the heat.

Or spending all your paycheck because there's sure to be another one along next week :-)

Of course the advice is good, however people who are piss poor really don't want to be patronised by some jumped up politician who has never had to worry about money in their lives.

I really doubt that they'd take the advice all that much better if it came from someone who started out dirt-poor, and worked his/her way up by applying it.  Like the woman said, they don't want solutions, they want excuses.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2013, 08:04:14 PM by Jamesqf »

non geordie beth

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2013, 11:34:22 AM »
Viewed through British eyes, that wikipedia entry screams 'upper class'. Which doesn't always = rich, but usually does.

Albert

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2013, 01:58:35 PM »
Viewed through British eyes, that wikipedia entry screams 'upper class'. Which doesn't always = rich, but usually does.

Not just British... He attended what looks like a rather exclusive private school and moved into politics very early. Of course that doesn't automatically make him a bad guy or his advice unworthy. By the way he represents Liberal Democrats (third biggest party in UK), not David Cameron's conservatives.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2013, 03:28:15 PM by Albert »

non geordie beth

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2013, 03:09:34 PM »
Viewed through British eyes, that wikipedia entry screams 'upper class'. Which doesn't always = rich, but usually does.

Not just British... He attended what looks like a rather exclusive private school and moved into politics very early. Of course that doesn't automatically make him a bad guy or his advice unworthy. By the way he represents Liberal Democrats (thirds biggest party in UK), not David Cameron's conservatives.
Haha, completely missed that on my skim read! Not that I like them much better these days. *wanders off mumbling about feeling betrayed, bloody lying Lib Dem bastards.....*

MgoSam

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2013, 08:00:39 AM »
That harkens back to what President Carter here in the United States. Didn't work out too well for him.

Jamesqf

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2013, 11:57:10 AM »
I dunno...  He seems to have done pretty well for himself, post-Presidency - or are you suggesting that there's something wrong with early retirement :-)  Hasn't worked out all that well for the folks who didn't listen to him.  Me, I'm wearing a sweatshirt and my fuzzy hat right now, and thinking about all the money I've saved.

Gerard

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #16 on: October 24, 2013, 03:45:23 PM »
And isn't this in the same country where conservative politicians propose bans on hoodies in public?

daverobev

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Re: Cameron says wise word, gets hushed
« Reply #17 on: October 24, 2013, 06:38:11 PM »
And isn't this in the same country where conservative politicians propose bans on hoodies in public?

It's David Cameron that had the 'hug a hoodie' thing to begin with.

If you haven't been to the UK, take it from me - groups of 'kids' on estates or dark alleys in town centres smoking, swearing and - yes - wearing hoodies that cover their features - are, at the very least, unsettling. It is one of the things about the UK I do NOT miss since moving to Canada.