11
Winston
‘Okay, so run that by me again, because I’m having a bit of trouble believing it all.’
Veronica, sitting across the table with a cup of coffee held in two hands, gave a shrug. ‘The parish council voted to make Cottonwood part of a Devonshire eco-zone. A new government initiative, apparently. Every property is on a meter, as is the village as a whole. We have to stick to a certain level of electrical output, otherwise it cuts off.’
‘That sounds ridiculous. You voted for this?’
Veronica shook her head. ‘No. The parish council did. Mum just got a letter through the door.’
‘And people just put up with it?’
Veronica shrugged. ‘Yeah. I think a few got angry at first, but whatever.’
‘So what happened?’
‘This time of year we need heating, so you have to be frugal elsewhere. The
