'I'm left living in a fridge thanks to new heating system - I've never felt cold like it'
'I'm left living in a fridge thanks to new heating system - I've never felt cold like it'
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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.".
