An OAP who's been left 'freezing' in his home uses a sleeping bag to stay warm in the evenings after a condensation problem left him without any insulation in the loft of his bungalow. David Harding, from Swansea, said he is 'afraid I'm going to die of cold' and believes it is chillier inside his council home than it is outside at the moment, Wales Online reports.
Temperatures have significantly dropped in the last few weeks across the UK with record breaking cold conditions leaving many struggling to afford to stay warm this winter amid the cost of living crisis. The 81-year-old said he has tried his best to wrap up in extra layers and with a hot water bottle but things have gone from bad to worse after he got a new kitchen fitted last month.
The pensioner spotted a leak coming from his ceiling which was causing water to drip down into his cupboards and his ceiling light. He said that the water was running from the lights like a 'tap' as he managed to fill up two buckets full.
David said he has called the council seven times over the past fortnight and had seven roofers investigate the issue which was what led to his insulation being taken away. However, David said this has made his home a lot colder and he now has to use a sleeping bag from 5pm until 10pm every night before he goes to sleep with many layers of clothing on and a hot water bottle.
David said: "I've got three pairs of long johns on, three vests on, two jerseys, two trousers and I'm still 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 had discovered a build-up of condensation in David's loft which was causing the leak into the kitchen below.
A spokesperson said that the council had installed roof vents and insulation was removed to identify the source of the issue. The spokesperson added that insulation will be installed this week and that they are 'confident' this will keep David warm in his home.
However, the OAP can not afford to wait much longer as he says: "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." The helpless man also added that electric heaters were out of the question due to the high expense of running them.
Swansea Council has addressed that it understands the high costs of energy are causing a lot of stress at the moment. The council confirmed it will be providing support and advice to the tenants suffering from these issues.
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