AN ELDERLY couple was left fearing for their health after their heating broke down during the recent freezing weather. 

High Wycombe resident Geoff Wiseman faced a grim wait after the heating of his home on Leburnum Road broke on Sunday, January 22.

The 74-year-old former Lincolnshire district councillor and his 80-year-old wife tried to keep warm by wrapping up in blankets, but they said they were shivering at night, and had to wait for around 20 hours for the emergency repair at their Red Kite Community Housing-owned rental home.

Mr Wiseman said: “We could have died that night!

“We’re quite fit, but it was hypothermia level temperatures in our house.”

When he woke up at midnight on Sunday night, the indoor temperature was around 10C.

The resident said he tried to ring Red Kite’s contractor on Sunday afternoon to try to sort out an emergency repair within four hours – only to be told he would have to wait up to 24 hours despite claiming to have a four-hour emergency contract between Red Kite and the contractor, Mr Wiseman said.

Although a contractor arrived on Monday morning around 9.15am to fix the heating, he said he was left “fuming” about the service he received from Red Kite.

When he tried to call the social housing provider’s office, he was told he would get a call back, which he claims he never received.

He said: “That’s how they treat the elderly, it’s a disgrace. Red Kite charge exorbitant rents for very little services.

“We were shaking with cold. We’re fairly fit and healthy, but others wouldn’t have survived.

“Red Kite haven’t bothered to get in touch with me. Their customer service is atrocious.”

His rent was set to increase by seven percent from April, Mr Wiseman said.

Head of communications and brand at Red Kite Community Housing Julie Gamble-Kempe said Mr Wiseman was “unfortunately” advised incorrectly that the repair was a 24 hour priority instead of the four hour limit.

“Mr Wiseman again called the contractor at 8.30am on Monday morning and an engineer attended and rectified the issue by 9.30am.

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“We understand our contractor has spoken to Mr Wiseman and has apologised for the error and made a compensation offer, which he has accepted.

“We do apologise for this mistake and the fact Mr Wiseman was left without heating overnight. We also want to reassure him that lessons will be learnt from this, and the call centre staff have been reminded of Red Kite’s response times.”

The rent increase of seven percent instead of the usual one percent increase was brought by after the government capped social and affordable rent at seven percent and around 10 percent inflation, meaning a gap in Red Kite’s income, the spokeswoman added.