Additional reporting by Cara Simmonds

A patient recovering from surgery says the past eight days have been her "worst nightmare" after broken heating saw temperatures in her home drop to -4C.

Amanda Lodge from Tunbridge Wells returned to the property last Monday after having a cataract operation at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury to find it freezing cold.

She immediately called Orbit Homes to report the issue and was left waiting for more than a week for it to be fixed.

The 55-year-old said: "Someone turned up on Wednesday.

"He was here a good few hours and then said he can’t mend it because the electric had been wired wrongly by whoever fitted the new kitchen.

"He asked for an emergency electrician to come out because there was no electricity going to the boiler or the control panel.

"I’ve had nothing since.

"They’ve left me with a heater which is as big as my hand.

"It literally eats my electricity."

She added: "Each time I phone they tell me they haven’t got a date for when the electrician will come.

"I have been a resident of theirs for 30 years, and I’ve lived with them here in Tunbridge Wells for 24 years.

"I always pay my rent, I work hard and now I’m left like this.

"Just to add insult to the injury, the [government] energy vouchers haven’t come through because of the postal strikes.

"It has been an awful week. Because I’m asthmatic I’ve had to start taking steroids because of the cold."

Ms Lodge says the snowfall last night has made her situation even worse.

"This morning, I sat waiting in a phone queue for Orbit in tears," she told KentOnline today.

"I'm absolutely freezing and the cold has caused my asthma to become really bad.

"They eventually called me back and said that engineers will come out at 1pm today."

A spokeswoman from Orbit Homes commented: "We are sorry for the delay. An electrician is visiting the home today to rectify the issue."