AN Andover family faces a chilly winter with the wood pellet boiler which heats their home constantly breaking down.

Lacey Potter and Rhyan Mayes moved into a new eco-home in Artists Way with their two sons, Ethan, aged four, and Finley, aged two, in the summer.

But the one boiler, which heats all 17 homes in the Testway Housing development, has been regularly cutting out since September.

The homes were designed to be cost effective with electricity and heating bills less than £50 each year.

"We moved into these homes because we like the idea of being eco-friendly," said Lacey, who owns her house through shared- ownership. "But we have to use a tumble dryer as the sun spaces, where we are meant to dry our clothes, don't work and after three days our clothes start to smell because they're so damp."

"It just gets so cold, the other day my two boys asked if they could wear scarves and gloves to keep warm."

Lacey has spent several hours on the phone to Testway trying to sort out the problems.

"The number of times I've spoken to people who don't send anyone out - or do send people out but they can't fix anything - it's just ridiculous," she said.

Donna Shinton, Lacey's next-door neighbour, is equally as frustrated.

"It's not just the boiler that's the problem," she claims.

"The windows leak and are drafty while the sun spaces, which are meant to heat the homes with the sun, are freezing in the winter."

Testway distributed temporary electric heaters to each household to see them through Christmas as well as a £20 goodwill gesture.

"Whether £20 will cover the extra bills we're having to pay or not we'll have to wait and see," said Lacey.

"These homes seemed so appealing when we moved in but with everything that's gone wrong it's almost as if it just isn't worth it."

"W're sorry the residents at Hockney Green have had some problems," said Rachel Credidio, head of development for Aster Group which works for Testway.

"The trouble with the wood pellet boiler, in particular, has been difficult to diagnose.

"From the outset we've been clear to residents and the wider community that this is a new way of living for most people.

"With every new home, green or conventional, there's always some teething problems. We are trying to solve these as quickly as possible and we're sorry the residents have been affected.

"The doors have been fixed but the sunspace windows may take a little longer to put right as parts need to come from abroad."