Tenants say homes are 'too cold'

People living in prefabricated homes built 60 years ago say they are too cold and much too costly to heat.

The so-called Airey homes, at Frisby on the Wreake in Leicestershire, were built to meet the huge post-war demand for new homes.

One tenant said it cost £1,500 a year to heat her home because it did not have any insulation.

Melton Borough Council is to meet the tenants to discuss a range of options to find a solution.

I like living in this house but it's not warm - it's a joke Sharon Parker

The homes were named after the designer Edwin Airey. They were built from pre-cast concrete panels and steel supports.

Sharon Parker, one of the tenants of Wellfield Lane who uses a pre-paid card to get her gas supply, said: "I haven't put any gas in since June. I can't afford to keep putting £45 a week in the meter.

"It's a nightmare. My lad sits on the settee with a quilt over him to keep warm and he has two quilts on his bed.

"I like living in this house but it's a joke. It's not warm. It needs some improvements and it needs them now."

The council said a comprehensive survey had identified options to tackle the problem on a long-term basis. But it accepted that the Airey homes were "not as energy-efficient as we would like them to be."