Gerald Dorning, 81, says he’s “never felt cold like it” after a new heating system – hailed as a way of cleaning up a home’s stale air – was installed in his Derbyshire home shortly before Christmas
An elderly man says he’s been left “living in a fridge” due to a problem with his new heating system.
Gerald Dorning, 81, says he’s been left to fight off the cold alone due to the “constant back and forth” between himself and his housing association after a new heating system was installed in his home.
Gerald – who has spent 14 years in his flat in Derby – says he’s “never felt cold like it” after the heat recovery ventilation system was installed before Christmas.
The device is meant to replace indoor stale air with fresh outdoor air while heating the whole flat. Mr Dorning says he has contacted multiple people from Places for People, the housing association that manages the property, but has had “no satisfaction” from any of them – saying it is “difficult to get hold of the right person”, reports Derbyshire Live.
Mr Dorning, who lives alone and relies on the help of his carer for everyday tasks, is now left wondering how long he will have to put up with the conditions. “It has just been a terrible few weeks,” he said.
“I suffer from health problems and my flat is unbearable at the moment. They installed the new system after the old one broke – but it wouldn’t have broken if they properly maintained it over the years. It became full of dust and was gradually losing its effectiveness.
“The new one is incredibly noisy and uses a lot more electricity than the old one, so I’m unable to sleep because of it, and I dread to think about the impact it could have on the environment as well. It just pushes cold air out into the flat and I end up shivering and too cold to do anything as a result. Being here is like living in a fridge, I have never felt cold like it.”
He says Places for People has been in contact on a number of occasions to resolve the issue. “They keep telling me that it is okay and that the issue is fixed, but it’s not okay at all,” he added.
“I spend all day wrapped up in a dressing gown, sat in the freezing cold and then I got to bed freezing as well. I’m just baffled that they think they can put people like me aside and sweep us under the rug.” He says the way housing associations are treating tenants is “not good enough” and that there is “no duty of care.”
“I just wanted to share my story to publicise the fact that there are so many people out there struggling during the winter months,” Mr Dorning remarked. “There is a simple lack of urgency from Places for People and I am worried that this will have an effect on my health if it continues. I shouldn’t have to deal with this at my age.”
Places for People have denied Mr Dorning’s claims that there are issues with the property’s heating or temperature following a visit on December 31. A spokesperson for the housing association said: “Our gas team attended the property on 31 December 2024 after a report of an issue with the heating.
“On attendance, we conducted tests and no issues were found with either the heating or the temperature of the property. Our records show that this customer has not been without heating or hot water, but if Mr Dorning does have further concerns, we urge him to please contact us so we can look into them and resolve any issues.”
