Vincent* had just installed a smart meter, hoping to save money. Instead, he discovered something alarming – his small two-bed flat was costing more to heat than homes twice its size and his family were still cold.

Condensation inside Vinent’s cold home raised concerns

During an initial call, our advisor learnt that Vincent lives with his partner and four children in a two-bed council flat. Although energy use will be higher the more people you live with, our advisor agreed that his bills seemed unusually high for a small flat, and Vincent was worried about affording heat throughout winter. No parent should have to choose between affording their bills and keeping their children warm.

Vincent shared a couple of revelations that caused concern. Firstly, due to the number of people living in a small flat, there were a lot of condensation issues. Vincent also explained that the flat was cold, and his heating system wasn’t keeping his home warm. High levels of condensation inside a cold home can quickly lead to the rapid spread of damp and mould, which is dangerous for health. For Vincent’s four young children, this wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was unsafe.

Damp and mould can creep into any home, but young children, elderly people and those with chronic illnesses are most at risk. Our advisor knew that Vincent’s children were especially vulnerable. They decided that Vincent would benefit from a home visit, where they could more thoroughly understand his situation , check the heating and demonstrate how to use his heating system more efficiently.

Arriving at Vincent’s home

It was only when our advisor arrived that they saw the true extent of Vincent’s living situation. As they entered his home, they found all his windows open, even though it was a cool day, causing significant heat loss.

Vincent told them that he would regularly open his windows for hours at a time – even in the depths of winter – because condensation would build up quickly in his home. By opening the windows, he was trying to remove the moist air as he was worried it would worsen the damp and mould that was present throughout the flat. What Vincent didn’t realise is that the cold air he was letting in made it more likely for damp and mould to grow. He was stuck in a vicious cycle.

Our advisor explained that while ventilation is important, you also need adequate heat to stop damp and mould from spreading. Instead, opening the windows for shorter periods and then using heating is a more effective approach. Our advisor gave Vincent a hygromete r, a simple tool for measuring humidity, so he could monitor the moisture levels of his home and understand when to open the windows.

Helping Vincent heat his home more effectively

With heat escaping out his open windows, Vincent was paying for more heating than he needed, but his family were still cold. Our advisors looked at Vincent’s heating system, which is controlled through night storage heaters. It became apparent that the heaters hadn’t been touched since the family moved in. This meant that an appropriate heating programme hadn’t been set and, until the smart meter was installed, Vincent was unaware of the amount of energy he was using. He also didn’t fully understand his Economy 7 tariff, and nobody had shown him how to use his storage heaters properly.

Our advisor programmed the heaters and demonstrated how Vincent can adjust them for different seasons. They also gave Vincent an advice leaflet on night storage heaters so that he and his family could refer to it if needed.

For the first time, Vincent felt confident that he could keep his children warm without breaking the bank. Now that he understands how heating and ventilation work together, his home will be healthier, his bills lower and his family will be warm and well over winter.

Our support is made possible by you

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we were able to step in before Vincent’s situation became even more dangerous. With the right advice and practical help, his family now has a warmer, healthier home.
But this winter, thousands of families like Vincent’s will face the same risks. Cold, damp homes can lead to serious illnesses — especially for children and older people — and put extra pressure on the NHS. These are preventable problems.
Together, we can change this. Your support means we can reach more families before damp and mould take hold, keeping people safe, warm, and well throughout the winter. Find out more about our winter campaign.

*Name changed for privacy.