Energy prices are sky high and autumn has only just begun. How do you get through the winter without getting burned out by gas prices? There is no simple solution or golden tip. And people from Brabant all have their own way, according to the reactions we get.
When asked ‘how are you going to heat your house this winter?’ we got different answers. A heartbreaking ‘Not’ comes up remarkably often. Niene, for example, says he will be forced to turn off the heating completely this winter. Just like An and Ria who respond to the question that Omroep Brabant asked.
‘Jug in bed’
Maja also opts for a fleece blanket and Connie and Frans sit on the couch with thick sweaters and a blanket. Extra blankets, duvets on the couch and snuggling together appears to be the chosen tactic of more people from Brabant this winter. For example, Fleur says: “Lots of tea, warm blankets, a thick duvet and a hot water bottle in bed.” Willem adds an extra dimension to that: “Let’s fart under the covers.”
Several people opt for a wood-burning stove. Brabant people with a fireplace clearly intend to use it regularly this winter, in order to turn off the heating more often. Anne, Ellen and Ilona, for example, say that wood will be fired in the stove this winter.
Candles or on ration
And those who don’t have a stove burn candles, it seems. “But that also costs money, all those candles”, Arlien doubts. Underfloor heating is also an answer that we see regularly. “That’s more economical than regular heating,” Emily says.
A ‘heating ration’, turning the thermostat a lot lower, is for many people the way to cut costs a little bit. Nicci only uses the heating in the evenings and on weekends.
And for those who really don’t know anymore, an anonymous tipster has one last (illegal) resort: “Branching, what else? We have no choice anymore!”
self-sufficient
For some, rising gas prices no longer play a role at all. Cees, for example, has an air-water heat pump and solar panels, he says. So it is virtually self-sufficient.
And then there are the lucky few who have fixed their energy tariff for a long time and for whom the rising prices do not immediately cause problems. Daan is happy with his contract from 2018 and Johnnie is also lucky: “I have my energy tariff fixed until October 2023.”
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