Lets all freeze together

[Gemma_14102]

Is it right that in the 21st Century disabled people can live in very cold homes and when you raise these serious concerns with the social housing provider it does not take any reasonable steps to solve the problem!!!

[jenny lucas]

Gemma, I wouldn't set my hopes too much on double glazing - I've got total double glazing, plus roof and wall insulation, and my house is still freezing. You might be better off looking for grants, or extra benefits, to spend on more heating for your flat. Double glazing costs a fortune, and doesn't always make much of a difference. Sad but true!

[Londonbound]

We too have double glazing, live in a modern flat and it is still cold, can you identify cold spots or is the whole house just cold.
Social housing providers have felt the crunch recently and just cannot afford to spend thousands, maybe you need to look at other sources of help.
Is your boiler fairly new, you can get grants to get a new more efficient boiler, do your radiaters not heat fully, could be air in the system, might need bleeding.
One house we had we hung a big thick curtain behind the front door, made the hall and stairs a lot warmer.
Thick curtains on all the windows will help considerably and those big sausage draught excluders at the bottom of doors.
Have you seen your GP, cold can make a lot of health conditions worse, your gp may be able to help.
do you talk to your neighbours, are their flats cold, perhaps if everyone wrote to the housing something may be done, even if they just did simple things around the house that may help.
Can your energy provider do anything, some offer a free home efficiency survey and can make recommendations or even provide grants to make a house warmer.
Let us know how you get on.

[Lee_1502]

I live in flat too and its a devil to heat. My energy bills worry me and I often have to ask my gran or my dad to help financially. Its bad for bathing. Too cold to get all the layers off. Lets try and keep each other warm eh, rather than freeze together.

[Gemma_14102]

Yes we wrap up in blankets and use hot water bottles etc.
Double glazing is a start ( and it will make a difference believe me) but it is not the end
All things only carry on if we are willing to accept them as they are.
It is simple speak or accept

[jenny lucas]

I'm not saying accept, I'm saying that I doubt double glazing will fix the problem of a cold house or flat! I would argue it is NOT the most cost-efficient way to spend thousands and thousands of pounds! Better to use that money to make the kind of 'mini-improvement's listed (eg, thick curtains, DIY 'internal' double glazing etc), and to pay for extra heating of the existing system, assuming that that is working at capacity.

It's easy to tell how 'naturally cold' a house is if, like me, you have built in wardrobes. If I've got the heating on in the house, and then open the wardrobe door, the air inside is far, far colder, and yet there are no windows, double glazed or not, in the wardrobe.

It would be interesting to see a quote for double glazing of your property, and then your heating bills, and see how much extra heating the cost of the double glazing would cover.

[Scally]

There are grants available to help with the cost of all these energy efficiency measures: The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (HIF) is a huge Govt cash giveaway available to anyone in Eng and Wales to encourage energy efficiency. The first £120m in July 2014 went in six weeks, while last Dec another £30m lasted little more than a day.

Last week, in a speech held here at MSE Towers (see below), Energy Secretary Ed Davey announced a new £70m from noon on Mon 16 Mar. I think this'll go at super-speed, as many are poised waiting to apply. And as it's the last time pre-election, it could be the last ever as a new govt may decide to close it. Here are the need to knows... http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/latesttip/

[Gemma_14102]

Just to let you know, the council informed us that windows can only be replaced if the whole estate is on the 'Window Replacement Programme'. They do not replace single property windows.
They know our circumstances and understand that the flat is too cold for a disabled person (not reaching 18 Celsius etc), but our estate is not on the programme at the moment so no new windows.
They are also aware of the deterioration in my mothers health and of course there is a proven link between cold temperatures;ill health and vulnerable groups.
But basically it is a case of get on with it and freeze!!!