A mum-of-three says her flat is so mouldy her energy bills skyrocketed to nearly £5,000 last year.
She says she has forked out £15,000 over the last five years in a bid to control the mould infesting her home in Epsom, Surrey, which has mushrooms growing out of the floor and carpet.
The mum, who has not been named for safety reasons, suspects tiles in her front room may also contain asbestos, with large areas of her kitchen, hallway and bedrooms covered in black mould, Surrey Live reports.
Her children also had to sleep in the living room to stay away from the worst of the mould.
“It’s been a nightmare since I moved into the house five years ago,” she said. “I am spending all of my time battling Clarion. When I look back, this house has actually ruined my life."
Clarion Housing, who manage her property, apologised for the “mistakes” it had made and has made arrangements to move her to a new home.
Despite the apology, she says living in the property has caused her a huge financial burden, causing her to take up work on weekends alongside her day job to provide for her family. She has called on Clarion to reimburse for all the money she has spent on heating and to make it liveable for her children.
She said: "I thought I was failing them [my children] by not having enough money, but all the time the house is so damp and cold I’ve had to keep spending so much and it’s taken all of my disposable income. I’m in debt because of it.
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“I’ve spent money on the house thinking it was going to be my forever home. I’ve put Oak flooring in, I’ve had the bathroom tiled and they are refusing to give me back my costs. They are completely aware of the hardship I’ve been put in, it’s not acceptable.”
A spokesperson for Clarion Housing apologised and has now moved the family to a different property. While they offered compensation, their comments suggested a reimbursement for energy costs was unlikely.
“We are sorry for the inconsistent service provided to her and her family over the last five years," the spokesperson said. "Where there have been mistakes on our side, we have offered appropriate compensation in line with our policies.
“Progress is being made and we are pleased that she has now accepted a permanent move to another property. A specialist is investigating the reports of asbestos and has found no evidence so far, but we will provide the resident with the full results once completed.
“The rising cost of living and the increase in energy costs is outside of our control as a housing association. Residents are ultimately responsible for the energy usage in their homes, but we do all we can to help. As part of the service provided to her, she has been referred to our charitable money guidance team for advice and support.
“We remain committed to working with our resident to resolve the issues she is experiencing and our housing team will continue to provide support where needed.”
