Anne, London24 January 2011
My rented bedsit was so cold that things froze in the bathroom. We had no fridge, but didn't need one in winter.
The 'Jack Frost' patterns on the windows were spectacular on both the inside and the outside.
There was no insulation whatsoever.
The flat was on the ground floor of a large Victorian house next to a park - lovely, but very very cold and damp.
My asthma was really bad whilst living there. When we moved to a local authority flat with hot water and central heating I thought I had died and gone to heaven. My sinus and asthma problems abated almost overnight. It was wonderful.
Our previous flat had been a mouse infested attic garret. We bought an electric blanket there as the only sensible way of keeping warm.
The heating was an electric bar fire which ran on a meter controlled by the landlord. It was horrendously inadequate and expensive.
Need some help?
For free advice on paying heating bills and how to save energy, visit Home Heat Helpline or call 0800 336699.
Find out your legal rights as a tenant at Shelter or call 0808 800 4444.
