Big increase in heating charge

Peter1 · May 17

I live in a council one-bedroom flat. The heating is communal heating and the council has increased the amount that I have to pay for the heating by 60%.

I have been through stage 1 of the council’s complaint procedure because I have looked in the Internet and I have not found any evidence that there has not been an increase of 60% of the gas price last year. Moreover, nothing is stated in the tenancy agreement which says that the council can increase the charge of the heating how much it wishes

The council has replied to me that this increase is due to the high cost of energy and that it is necessary.

I would like to know on which grounds I can take up my complaint to stage 2 of the council’s complaint procedure and if there is a law which says that the Council can increase the charge of the heating how much it wishes without putting forward any evidence that the price of the gas has increased by 60% last year.

Moreover, this huge increase can cover a bad management from the Council

Carpy · May 17

That's ridiculous,i have communal heating and my payments have come down by £12 per month compared to last year.

Peter1 · May 17

Moreover, what I need to know is what law or regulation regulate the increase that the council can imposed concerning gas charge. I think that there should be some law or regulation about this issue and that the council cannot impose the increase that it wishes.

This information will also be necessary if stage 2 of my complaint failed and I need to go to court

Holly_Scope · May 17

Hi @Peter1 I very much struggled to find any information on this situation, but 60% is extortionate! It might be worth having a chat to someone such as Advicelocal and if that fails, perhaps Turn2us or Housing - Citizens Advice. I'm so sorry I can't be more helpful with this. It's something I've not come across before. I really hope you're able to get this resolved because surely that can't be a manageable increase for anybody.

Passerby · May 18

Since you've said "The heating is communal", what are the other tenants saying? You would need to make a collective complaint.

Peter1 · May 18

I do not know what the others tenants are thinking about this very big increase because I have not asked them but I suppose they do not like it.

Moreover, all tenants are elderlies so maybe they do not understand

I am trying to find the tenants association so that to contact them so that to make a collective complaint through them

Rosie_Scope · May 19

Hi @Peter1, It may also be worth speaking to your local councillors or even your MP.

They can often have a look at issues like this and see if they can find out whether anything can be done.

Find your local councillors - GOV.UK

Find your MP - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament

Peter1 · May 23

I have done searches in the Internet and I found out that the Council is charging me the double of the average gas bill

Peter1 · May 24

I searched in the Internet for comparison with one-bedroom flat and I found several examples which say that the average gas bill is half what the Council charges us what is obviously no acceptable also because in communal heating we should pay less because gas can be bought in bulk and there is only one boiler in the building instead of one in each flat.

I have difficulty to understand how the council can charges me twice more than the average gas bill and I am wondering if a city council servant received a bribe from a gas supplier so that city council accepts to pay a higher price without changing of supplier because anyway the tenants of these one-bedroom flats can do nothing against this

Peter1 · May 25

We are in an abnormal situation because communal heating exists only in social housing and in social housing we are supposed to pay less than in private housing. However, in my case I am paying double than in private housing as demonstrated by my Internet researches.

Is it not the duty of the Council to manage the service charges in a way that the tenants has to pay a reasonable amount and not twice more than in the private housing? Is it not this the purpose of Social Housing in which most of tenants are in low income?

Peter1 · June 8

Could the 60% increase in communal hearting be due to the fact that the Council buys gas in advance in bulk and if prices were higher at time of purchase this will be passed onto all tenants

Big increase in heating charge

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