Residents of a tower block stripped of its cladding in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy say they are "freezing" and are forced to wear dressing gowns to keep warm.
Jane, with her two children, says the family has to wear dressing gowns and mittens to stay warm, reports the Manchester Evening News, since Malus Court, where the family resides, had its outside layer removed.
The tower block was stripped of its cladding following the Grenfell disaster in 2018 which killed 72 people.
But as the building’s heating system is reliant on the building being insulated, the removal of cladding has left the building - and its residents - open to the freezing elements.
Some residents of the Pendleton tower block say their energy prices are now so expensive they cannot afford to have their heating on more than 11C and rarely have lights on.
Mum-of-two Jane, who moved into the property in October 2021, works part-time and is on Universal Credit and says the energy bills regularly exceed her monthly income.
As a result, her 10-month-old son has to spend his days in mittens and a hat, while his three-year-old sister and his mum are forced to wear dressing gowns.
Jane said: “I sit at night, scared, wondering where I am going to get the money from.
“I have got tin foil behind the radiators to try and keep the heat in. [The kids are] not opening the curtains to keep the heat in.
“They have to sleep with hot water bottles. They are always full of cold. Then they are full of damp.
“I cannot break into the kids’ money. That's for nappies.”
Another mum in the tower block, Maria, who is unable to work owing to English lessons and caring for her five-year-old son, added: “The jobcentre said I should stay at home without child care because it costs so much, I can't afford it.
“I have a smart meter and I am always checking it. I have a five-year-old son. I have to do things at home.
“It's simple ordinary things. My son has to sleep in my bed.
"I cannot leave him there. This is not a life.”
Last year, she spent £1,400 on energy, with the minimum being a £180 monthly payment. At times, Maria was spending close to £300 every four weeks.
The building’s NIBE heating system uses vents to draw fresh air in which can then be warmed and circulated.
Removing the cladding means there is less residual heat than it is designed for, causing freezing conditions for residents of the Salford City Council-owned building.
Deputy Mayor John Merry said completion of works to warm the building will be done as "fast as humanly possible."
He added: "The reason the cladding had to be taken off the blocks was for resident safety.
"After Grenfell, it has been revealed there has been a national failure of building regulations and we are now legally obliged to remove and replace all cladding made from these materials.
“From the perspective of the Council, we are working as hard and fast as we can with the resources we have available.
"Salford was one of the first Councils in the country to announce the removal and replacement of its cladded blocks – but the Government blocked our attempts to finance the speedy removal and replacement locally, and then also told us that Pendleton Together’s [PTOL] blocks were not eligible for government grant money.
“After a lengthy process of acquiring private finance on private finance markets, PTOL have removed the dangerous cladding.
"But structural issues have slowed work – alongside international supply-chain shortages and national labour shortages.”
Pendleton Together added it was "sorry to hear any examples of residents facing difficulties".
A spokesperson said: "Pendleton Together know that some of our residents face difficulties heating their home every winter.
“Where this is due to energy prices or financial hardship we provide specialist staff who can advise on the support available and work with them to offer reassurance.
“This is a service we have always provided and will continue to provide after the programme of fire safety works is complete.”
