Residents in Mount Pleasant (Bracknell Forest, Berkshire) say poor insulation, damp walls and sky-high electricity costs are leaving them cold and out of pocket — some relying on kettles for hot water and electric blankets to stay warm.
At a residents’ meeting on January 29, multiple tenants complained about the cost of electricity and faulty storage heaters.
The homes were reportedly poorly built, with some lacking a damp-proof course in the brickwork. There is no gas supply or gas central heating, and no solar energy to help cut electricity bills.
Residents said storage heaters that should heat up at night on cheaper electricity were either badly timed or didn’t come on at all.
A 72-year-old rock and heavy metal fan with breathing difficulties challenged Southern Housing about damp proofing. He said: “There is no damp proof course in the brick work or air bricks in the outside walls.” Unfortunately he had trouble being heard because of his breathing problems.
Jordan and Sophie, a couple in their 20s in a one‑bed flat, pay over £100 a month for electricity — their December bill was £103.17. Sophie said: “My water heater hasn’t been working for six years. They kept coming round, but they’d press a button, fix a part, say it’s fixed and they’d leave. But we still had no hot water. For years I was using a kettle to do the washing up. They made me feel really stupid each time.”
They recently got help after appealing to their local MP Peter Swallow. Their windows are meant to be double glazed but are draughty. Jordan said: “The water comes in around the windows sometimes but you just kind-of get used to it.”
“We have electric blankets and our own electric heaters in both rooms.”
On January 20 the government launched its warm homes plan, promising ‘targeted interventions for those on low incomes’; ‘upgrades for social housing’; ‘new protections for renters’; and a ‘universal offer’ for all households to upgrade homes if and when they want to. The secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Ed Milliband, says he would like to lift a million families out of fuel poverty and tackle long term energy costs for places just like Mount Pleasant.
In Mount Pleasant residents do not have direct rights to make adjustments to their own roofs, as the housing association is responsible. No mention of the warm homes plan was made at the meeting; instead Southern Housing has committed to replacing all the windows across the estate and some doors too.
Bracknell Forest Council leader Mary Temperton, who is focused on climate change and renewable energy, said: “It’s good when housing associations respond and work with their tenants. There is a great deal to do.”
A spokesperson for Southern Housing said: “We’re continuing to work closely with our residents living at Mount Pleasant to deliver improvements to their building and ensure everyone is living in a home where they feel comfortable and warm. “We visited 187 homes last Thursday, January 22, where we fixed a number of minor repair issues. We will be revisiting to resolve other concerns which were raised on the day. “We have picked up some additional repair issues following the resident meeting last night [Thursday January 29]. “We will be reaching out to those individual residents to investigate further and encourage residents to contact us if there’s anything else we can do to support.”
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
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