By Sabine Klier
Even when the sun is shining, it feels like winter has long since moved in with the Schmidt family.
That’s how it is for many Berliners now: They’re freezing because their heating hasn’t been turned on yet.
Jason’s little bath thermometer (11 months) reads just nine degrees. Mother Antje (31) is desperate. “The windows in our apartment are leaking. It pulls like pike soup.” That’s why they try to seal the windows with blankets. But that’s no use. The apartment on the 6th floor of the prefabricated building has cooled down completely.
It pulls through the window, a blanket is supposed to protect something Photo: Sven Meissner
Wrapped up in their winter jackets, the family of 5 tries to keep warm on the couch under a blanket. They can’t afford a heater. “The electricity costs are not reimbursed and my partner works as a postman for the pin. The money is just enough,” says Antje.
The temperature in the apartment measures just nine degrees – as shown by the bathroom thermometer Photo: Sven Meissner
Two blocks of flats are affected in their Mellenseestraße alone. “The property management has not yet responded to our calls or emails,” says Antje Schmidt.
The BZ asks the landlord, the Adler Group: “Last week, when the temperature drop became apparent, we commissioned the responsible maintenance and specialist companies to set the heating systems to ‘Winter’ and thus put them back into operation .
Daughter Melodie (9) only goes to bed with a jacket Photo: Sven Meissner
Due to the high workload of many companies and at the same time scarce resources, the process is delayed in individual cases,” said Adler spokeswoman Dobroslawa Pazder. “We sincerely regret this. We are in dialogue with the companies concerned and assume that all heaters will be in operation shortly.”
The weather forecast for the coming days does not give much hope: At night, temperatures will drop below ten degrees. At least a small consolation: At the weekend it will be up to 18 degrees during the day.