Daniel Clarke has resorted to improvised methods of heating his home

A TENANT living in appalling housing conditions is using a terracotta pot and candle warming system to heat his home because of the cost of living crisis.

Daniel Clarke, who has been in a 30-year dispute with the One Housing and Riverside merged housing association over his flat in Bloomsbury, showed the New Journal his home-made heating system for coping with the winter weather.

The London Fire Brigade has warned against the use of tea lights and large-size terracotta pots as they can be dangerous if left unattended.

Mr Clarke said he is monitoring them extremely conscientiously but, with a broken boiler and shocking levels of mould and condensation, said: “What else am I supposed to do? I will either die or live, If I didn’t put my heating on, I would die. When people talk about fuel poverty now, I’ve known about it for 30 years. I’ve lived it all of my life.

“Now the gas and electricity bills have gone up again. How much is it going to cost me?”

He added that his living conditions affected every aspect of his life. “One thing people don’t think about when you are living in a space like this is what happens when you get into the relationship,” he said. “You get to that stage and you know she isn’t going to move in with you. It’s the conditions. I have had all kinds of infections. It got so bad, wheezing was waking me up.”

Mr Clarke, who said he had £15,000 in arrears for electricity bills before he started using his system, said he had learned how to use large garden pots with trays on the top that hold rows of small tea light candles.

The mould and damp in Mr Clarke’s flat

Mr Clarke said he has also has given up on showers, choosing instead to wash himself with the bucket.

Sometimes he said he liked to put a bowl of fragrance on the terracotta pot heating system that would give his home a pleasant smell.

Mr Clarke said he had been diagnosed with blood clots during the Covid-19 pandemic and he was told that “he should be dead”.

He said he was furious with One Housing, now Riverside, as he believed the homes provider was failing in its duty to ensure his home is habitable and that he had a proper working boiler and no mould.

David George, the London Fire Brigade’s borough commander for Camden, said: “We understand that people are trying to save money over the autumn and winter, but we’d urge everyone to think carefully about their safety and the safety of those around them before using candles to heat their homes.

“This particular heating technique of using tea candles and flower pots is extremely dangerous and could cause fires. Candles need to be supervised at all times and they must be used in a safe, fire-resistant holder or container – a small gust of wind can cause an innocent candle flame to set light to objects nearby if left too close.”

A spokesperson for One Housing, part of The Riverside Group, said: “We’re aware of Mr Clarke’s concerns about damp and mould.

“Unfortunately, we have been unable to gain access to our customer’s home… but remain committed to working with Mr Clarke.

“We have also appointed a dedicated tenancy support worker to support Mr Clarke throughout this process and anticipate being able to start work in the next couple of weeks.”

FIRE ALERT

The New Journal is reporting on Daniel Clarke’s claims as an illustration of the means some people are resorting to to keep warm. It is considered dangerous and should not be attempted. All heating should be safety tested.