An 81-year-old man has been freezing cold in the biting winter weather after an issue with condensation left him without insulation in the loft of his council bungalow.
David Harding reckons it is colder inside his bungalow in Bonymaen ,Swansea, than it is outside - all during a time when record-breaking low temperatures being reported across the UK. Plummeting temperatures have left people across the country trying to stay warm despite not being able to afford to heat their homes this month and David said he has tried his best to wrap up this winter.
However, things went from bad to worse for him after a new kitchen was fitted in his two-bedroom home in Arron Place last month. David noticed a leak coming through the ceiling - which saw water drip down into his cupboards as well as into his celling light. "It was running from my lights like a tap," he said, adding that he filled up two buckets of the dripping water.
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Swansea Council has said it is working as quickly as possible to address the issue and have recently inspected the home a number of times. However, In less than two weeks, David said he called the council seven times and had seven roofers inspect the property which led to his insulation being removed so the issue could be identified. David said this has made his home much colder and he now uses a sleeping bag from 5pm until 10pm every night before going to bed with a hot water bottle and many layers of clothing.
David, who has diabetes and has had prostate cancer in the past, said: "I've got three pairs of long johns on, three vests on, two jerseys, two trousers and I'm still cowin' cold. I'm afraid I'm going to die of cold. I'm healthy, I look after myself but it's getting harder now it's getting cold."
Swansea Council said it identified a build-up of condensation in David's loft which is leaking into the kitchen below. A spokesman said that roof vents have been installed by the council today and insulation was removed to identify the source of the problem. The spokesman added that new loft insulation is being installed this week and they are "confident" this will allow David to keep the home warm.
However, that can't come soon enough for the retired merchant navy officer and security guard - who said there are puddles of water in his attic getting bigger as he waits for the problem to be sorted. He also added that he cannot afford to keep the heating on for too long to warm up the house despite the cold weather.
"It is freezing in this bl**dy bungalow. I can't put the heating on because if I do for half an hour, it will warm up but as soon as I switch the heating off it goes freezing. I can't keep the heating on 24/7, it's impossible because I'm a pensioner," he said, adding that electric heaters were also out of his price range due to the high cost of running them.
Swansea Council added it recognised that issues linked to the cost of living and the high costs of energy are causing distress for many. The council said it will be providing support and advice to the tenant in relation to these issues.
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