16 January 2023 , 09:36
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Life in one of Britain's coldest communities has been revealed, where locals say they live in an 'energy crisis hotspot'.
The area has been named in the top ten of coldest places to live in Wales as people struggle to keep their homes warm due to the cost of living and a nationwide energy crisis.
Some resident in the Ravenhill area of Fforestfach, Swansea, are living on the lowest incomes and homes that are the most expensive to heat due to low efficiency ratings, admitting they are turning the heating off "because I know I can't afford to keep it on."
One resident, who is battling with lung cancer, says that her heating bills are too high to heat her home, while another says that her universal credit payment does not cover the tab - unless she sacrifices her food shop, report Wales Online.
Julie Cooch now has to put double the money into the meter so she can keep warm (John Myers)Ravenhill in Swansea was named in the top ten of coldest places to live in Wales by environmental justice organisation Friends of the Earth, after researchers found that in an energy crisis hotspot like this, homes have the lowest energy efficiency ratings and are also harder to heat.
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Julie Cooch, 67, has lived in the Ravenhill area for 13 years, and moved into her council home five years ago. But despite needing to keep warm to aid her lung cancer recovery, her heating bills are too high to heat her home properly.
While she had cladding put on the outside of the home, Julie says there is a massive gap between where the cladding and the kitchen unit was later fitted, meaning there is no insulation and it is hard to keep the cold out.
She says that: "It is drafty. None of the windows work properly. They don't shut properly. I only recently had double-glazing put in."
Every two days, the 67-year-old says she has to put £20 on the meter so she can keep warm, which is double the amount she paid before prices soared.
Rhiannon says that she hears her neighbours are in the same boat as her and her family (John Myers)And before going into hospital, she used some money she had saved to do a big food shop and stock up the cupboards, but now she needs to use a foodbank due to the amount she has to spend on heating.
But Julie, who lost her son last year after a sudden illness, said she has no choice but to fork out to keep her home warm, saying: "It's been more important to me now I've been in hospital."
She also tried to access the Warm Home Discount Scheme which offered £150 credit on the meters of people who most needed it, but despite being eligable she says she could not get through to her energy company on the phone.
A spokesperson for Swansea Council said the tenant had not reported any current issues highlighted to them by the media, but have now arranged for inspections to be carried out at the property to establish what action may be needed.
As well as living in draughty homes, analysis has found that most people living in the area are also on low incomes, meaning that it is harder for them to keep their homes warm due to being the hardest hit by the soaring cost-of-living crisis and nationwide energy crisis.
Lisa Hardy, 44, who lives on the same street as Julie, has revealed that she has had similar issues keeping her home warm. She has has lived in a council home in Ravenhill for over a decade with her partner.
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Ravenhill area of Swansea was named in the top 10 coldest neighbourhoods in Wales (John Myers)The 44-year-old has opened up about her costs, saying that her gas and electric bills have doubled but her universal credit payment of £275 does not cover the payments unless she sacrifices her food shop.
Both Lisa and her husband are unable to work due to sickness, she said, adding that she has suffered with ankylosing spondylitis, a long-term chronic illness which causes back pain and inflammation, for ten years.
Lisa says that the cold makes her symptoms flare up, explaining: "We've been putting the heating on but not very often."
While the heating goes on for around two hours a day in the home, insulation is not good, she says, adding: "The windows are crap and there is draft around the door. It doesn't warm up upstairs at all.
"The kitchen window has been damaged for ten years and there is black mould in the house."
Certain windows in her home were supposed to be replaced in March last year, claims Lisa, but she said nothing has been done to fix them.
The study was conducted by Friends of the Earth through thermal images (John Myers)This makes her house harder to heat, she said, adding: "As soon as you turn the heating off, it gets cold again. These last few days have been so windy but I don't think we're going to be able to put the heating on anymore than we have at the moment."
Lisa said she sits in her poncho with a duvet at home to try and keep warm, as the couple have tried to cut costs by not doing food shops, living off food in the freezer and just buying essentials like milk and bread.
They have to pay for internet each month to access universal credit and Lisa said a dehumidifier was put in their attic by the council to reduce damp but this has increased their electricity bills, but she has admitted that: "The cost-of-living has gone through the roof."
A spokesperson for Swansea Council has said that the tenant has not reported any of the issues highlighted, but they have arranged for inspections to be conducted at the home. They also added that a previous issue was raised in relation to a window at the property which they said was resolved in May 2022, saying: "We always encourage tenants to contact our Housing Service to raise concerns and they are dealt with as quickly as possible."
Meanwhile, resident Rhiannon Jones, 18, who has always lived in Ravenhill, says that since the cost-of-living crisis and inflation, her home has been a lot colder as the family have had to cut down on heating.
A spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Cymru said many people across Wales are being forced between heating and eating (John Myers)Her family keep the heating on for one hour a day after she comes home from college, Rhiannon said.
Another resident Jill Hassett, 66, said her bills have doubled, adding that "The houses are so cold", while Rebecca Jones, 46, has said that her energy bills have gone up more than three times from £80 a month to £300 a month.
Wales has some of the worst insulated homes in Europe, according to Friends of the Earth, which makes it expensive to stay warm in cold weather as warmth escapes through walls, windows, roofs and doors.
As well as Ravenhill, some of the top ten coldest neighbourhoods include Grangetown in Cardiff and Caerau in Bridgend.
Energy crisis areas such as Ravenhill were said to have "poor" average energy efficiencies, with SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure - a measure of energy efficiency and CO₂ emissions for new, converted or extended residential dwellings) ratings below 68. Homes with a rating of 100 cost zero in energy- the higher the SAP rating, the lower the energy costs.
A spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Cymru said many people across Wales are struggling to keep warm in poorly insulated homes and are forced into making impossible choices between heating and eating.
Many of the residents on Middle Road, Ravenhill, are struggling with the cost of living crisis (John Myers)They said: “We urge Welsh Government to implement its Warm Homes Programme as soon as possible – one that is ambitious enough to keep people warm and safe.
"Please provide financial support for vulnerable households, and insulation to lower people’s energy bills. We also need to speed up the move towards an energy system based on renewables and low carbon heating."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Swansea Council said: "In the last three years, 150 properties in Ravenhill, including residents in Rhodfa’r Brain, have benefitted from a £4.5 million investment, providing new roofs, roof insulation, weatherboards, exterior insulation and high performance double glazing.
"We are planning a further £7.3million of investment to the community over the next four years to an additional 190 council homes. All these works will aim to improve the thermal performance of the homes in Ravenhill."
They added: "350 homes in Ravenhill have also benefitted from other improvements to their homes in recent years including a £3.5 million programme in 2019/20 to renew kitchens and bathrooms.
"This includes the tenants in Rhodfa’r Brain. Over the last 20 years, Swansea Council has invested £550million into its housing stock in a bid to improve the standard and quality in the 13,600 council homes in our city.
"As well as installing new kitchens, bathrooms and double glazed window units, we have invested in new and innovative energy saving equipment including new boilers and energy controls. We’ve also committed a further £28million over the next four years, towards the installation of solar panels and battery storage to some of our homes, to help tackle fuel poverty.
"Our More Homes programme has seen some of the most modern homes developed in Wales with state-of-the-art features to not only keep homes warm but also to keep energy costs low. These developments have prompted other councils around the country to follow our example and clearly shows we are helping lead the way in the creation of modern, safe and warm council housing."