Disabled tenants fear soaring energy bills as Gloucestershire landlord delays repairs
Tenants say they are “losing sleep” as they face going into winter with a lack of insulation
Disabled Bishop’s Cleeve tenants are “losing sleep” over fears their energy bills will skyrocket as they face the winter with a lack of insulation and gaps in their windows.
Cherice Brandist, 47, and Dawn Webley, 59, are among the residents of Agate Drive who publicly raised concerns in the summer over scores of problems with their bungalows.
They have spent the best part of two years battling to get their landlord housing association Sovereign to fix the issues.
These problems make their homes hot like greenhouses in the winter and cold as a fridge in the winter.
But the residents say their landlord is not taking their concerns seriously and feel completely ignored by them.
Now with winter fast approaching they are extremely concerned about how much it will cost them to keep warm.
“Our concern is it’s bloody cold enough in here already and it’s only September,” Mrs Brandist said.
“All of us along this drive are all in this situation that is beyond our control which none of us have asked for.
“None of us have been sleeping properly. We are fearful about it. It’s not just the concern with how cold it is but it’s also a huge worry with regards to the heating costs.
“We’ve got no cavity wall insulation, the windows don’t fit properly, they have gaps in them and are not sealed properly.
“I’ve also been waiting over 18 months for the wet room floor to be replaced and then there are all the external jobs that need doing.
“They have been aware of these problems now for the best part of two years now.
“They did tell us that all of the issues that need to be rectified are probably not going to be done until next year. If that is the case, what provisions are they going to put in place to help us through this winter.”
A spokesperson for Sovereign Housing Association said it is never their intention that a customer is unhappy with their property or the service they receive.
They said they will keep in touch with our customer to resolve this matter as quickly as we are able to.
“The issues reported are complex and need to be fully investigated. In August we instructed a third-party company to complete an independent survey of the property to help us understand the most appropriate course of action.
“We understand the findings will be with us shortly. Once we have received them, and reviewed the property against the original plans, we will be able to agree a way forward with our customer.”