Kristie, Pinner

17 January 2011

I rent a one-bedroom flat on my own. My heating bills in the winter are 12 per cent of my monthly income, and this only heats my living room.

In the winter, I use two duvets and a blanket as well as lots of clothes and hot water bottles to keep me warm in bed.

Having a bath is difficult. My body is so cold when I get in the water burns my feet, but then cools so quickly that having a soak is impossible.

Horrible black mould grows throughout my flat which no amount of scrubbing will remove!

I've told my landlord about this and asked for a better heating system, but he said it's too expensive.

Really, the problem is the lack of insulation in the walls and roof.

I'm trapped in this situation because I can't afford to save the deposit I would need to move to another place.