Lambeth increases the rent of council tenancies by £60-£75 PER WEEK
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marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
Probably since the block was built. There are ways to bill residents individually , heat meters are now being used in some council blocks/estates. Residents then pay a heating charge based on usage, otherwise it is spread out amongst all the residents, regardless of usage.
wemakeyousoundb
hopefully not gimboid
Heat and hot water are via a communal boiler, it was already so back when I lived there in the 80s so most likely from the origin of the block.
I can't remember if the other properties on the moorlands estate are also connected to it or not.
I can't remember if the other properties on the moorlands estate are also connected to it or not.
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
The other thing with communal heating regardless of whether it’s individually controllable or not is you don’t get the individual current government help on offer.
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
Increased rent and communal charges for Tower Hamlets community housing too (from FB earlier)
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
It wouldn't be difficult for the Government to allow these heating charges to be covered by HB/UC rent element temporarily, the current heating charges of around £50pw are impossible to pay if you are on benefits.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Looking up the Fuel Poverty Action website they have idea of a basic level of free energy for every household.
www.fuelpovertyaction.org.uk
Not as mad as it sounds.
Under Communism in Georgia everyone had the basics of life. Reading this thread and was reminded of an old documentary I saw "Power Trip" . After communism the benefits of capitalism were brought to Georgia. Except that many ordinary people objected to now having to pay for electricity. Something they had not had to before. They didn't even have meters before.
Just goes to show their are alternatives to our present system.
#EnergyForAll – Fuel Poverty Action
www.fuelpovertyaction.org.uk
Not as mad as it sounds.
Under Communism in Georgia everyone had the basics of life. Reading this thread and was reminded of an old documentary I saw "Power Trip" . After communism the benefits of capitalism were brought to Georgia. Except that many ordinary people objected to now having to pay for electricity. Something they had not had to before. They didn't even have meters before.
Just goes to show their are alternatives to our present system.
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AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
People do. Same in Manchester, which is the council equivalent of a one party state. One of those places where you could stick a rosette on a donkey and it would get voted in.
Although having said that, our current councillors - who got involved and got elected around th Corbyn era, are actually really good now, really engaged, do a lot for the community, are very good at representing residents' views rather than toe-ing the party line, and they work all year round, don't just do a couple of photo ops just before the elections to stick pics in the campaign leaflets.
Not sure how much longer they'll last under the Starmer regime, given that they care more about the people than the party.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Been hearing that droves of people have been leaving the party in Lambeth now they see what Starmer is doing.
Which my Cllrs would be very happy with. Cllr Rachel ( who they got rid of because she represented residents) once told me membership in my ward was so low that they struggled to fill posts And my ward is a ward with large percentage of working class people.
That is how they like it. They don't want mass membership. They don't want the people having a say. Unless they also toe the line. Had Cllr tell me again recently that I am not "representative" of the community I live in. If I agreed with everything the Council did I know I would not get this.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I'm intrigued by this communal heating issue. It always used to be assumed to be more efficient. And also used as an incentive in such places as Millwall and Bromley where they have incinerators supplying combined heat and power.
I am a private householder, not a tenant and have my own boiler. My December and January gas/electricity combined bills were over £400 each month - but I guess the soace I'm heating is double most council flats, and although I have double glazing and roof insulation I do not have a cavity wall, or cavity wall insulation.
I choose to have my heating on all the time, because I'm in all the time.. The only concession I've made to economising is reducing the thermostat from 20.5 to 20 - and I have also turned right down the thermostatic radiator valves in less used rooms.
So - is the issue that the council communal heating systems are clapped out and inefficient? Or is it that people are being charged for continuous 24 hour use (like me) with no choice to opt out?
I guess it would be almost impossible to ascertain that the costs are for each communal system in isolation and thereby check up on if this is fairly apportioned?
What seemed a good system in a low energy cost era has turned out to be a cause of discontent or injustice now?
I am a private householder, not a tenant and have my own boiler. My December and January gas/electricity combined bills were over £400 each month - but I guess the soace I'm heating is double most council flats, and although I have double glazing and roof insulation I do not have a cavity wall, or cavity wall insulation.
I choose to have my heating on all the time, because I'm in all the time.. The only concession I've made to economising is reducing the thermostat from 20.5 to 20 - and I have also turned right down the thermostatic radiator valves in less used rooms.
So - is the issue that the council communal heating systems are clapped out and inefficient? Or is it that people are being charged for continuous 24 hour use (like me) with no choice to opt out?
I guess it would be almost impossible to ascertain that the costs are for each communal system in isolation and thereby check up on if this is fairly apportioned?
What seemed a good system in a low energy cost era has turned out to be a cause of discontent or injustice now?
editor
hiraethified
But no one seemed to care when it was cheaper?
editor
hiraethified
There was nothing anyone could do - in the 28 years I've been here, there's only ever been the choice of turning off radiators, and latterly, the ability to adjust the temperature to one one of two temps via a cheapo thermostat.
Given that that energy crisis is a relatively new thing, I imagine many people are now thinking harder about how they can do things better. I imagine a lot of people didn't think much about their energy usage and environmental impact when it was cheaper, regardless of where they lived.
I wish you well, just feel the time element and the incompetence of the council is going to be against you.
The gas prices should be lower next year, but the only way to ensure its ok is to get something in place longterm.
wemakeyousoundb
hopefully not gimboid
I guess the issue is twofold:
- the price cap does not apply to the energy costs here as it is considered a business supply rather than household (it's a business buying the energy to supply to households)
- this particular system is old and individual metering is not in place (my non council new build has a central heating/hot water system but being modern each flat has it's own meter and gets charged for usage, issue 1 will still apply to the supply costs though before being individualised to the end user)
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure I'm happy with the view that the way forward is metering individual flats.
It seems to be working on assumption that high energy price will make people use energy more wisely.
That before they had it to easy
This can inadvertently lead to putting this on the consumer.
I'm on pre pay meter for gas ( my heating)
If high prices eventually lead me to being more "careful" what will happen is that I will have to put up with colder flat
I know a few people who have de facto cut themselves off. They simply don't turn the heating on. However cold it is. Putting in meters into a communal system won't stop solve this problem.
As for communal heating I've already said at recent council meeting senior officer said they had got a good deal on energy supply for the Leisure centres. So won't worried about high costs to much
I still think questioning Council on how they justify this large increase for this block of flats is one line to follow.
Council planning policy under Brixton Master plan is to develop local energy networks ( forgot the proper name will look it up)
Example
devonclimateemergency.org.uk
Potentially a good idea. But Council have not done much about it. It's kind of slid off the radar. Despite new developments in Brixton. Buildings are meant to be able to he retrofitted
Council should really being looking at it's stock and devising plan to decarbonise housing as much as possible. This after all is Council policy.
And planning this for Brixton. Not just writing aspirations in planning documents.
Plus the Fuel Poverty Action idea of set amount of free energy for all. Above which one pays. FPA have said look at whole structure of pricing.
I'm afraid what is going to happen is that the less well off average person will bear the brunt of energy increases.
Don't want to get into Ukraine but choices were made politically over this. If high price are due to this conflict I'm not so sure in long term that people will wear this. We aren't at war. Council are starting to use it as excuse for everything.
If we are then government should start to look at how things were done in WW2. Efforts were made to ensure all of the population had minimum standards of living. At this time only people who seem to be benefiting are energy companies and arms manufacturers. Both making big profits on back of this
It seems to be working on assumption that high energy price will make people use energy more wisely.
That before they had it to easy
This can inadvertently lead to putting this on the consumer.
I'm on pre pay meter for gas ( my heating)
If high prices eventually lead me to being more "careful" what will happen is that I will have to put up with colder flat
I know a few people who have de facto cut themselves off. They simply don't turn the heating on. However cold it is. Putting in meters into a communal system won't stop solve this problem.
As for communal heating I've already said at recent council meeting senior officer said they had got a good deal on energy supply for the Leisure centres. So won't worried about high costs to much
I still think questioning Council on how they justify this large increase for this block of flats is one line to follow.
Council planning policy under Brixton Master plan is to develop local energy networks ( forgot the proper name will look it up)
Example
New district energy network to decarbonise Plymouth’s public buildings – Devon Climate Emergency
devonclimateemergency.org.uk
Potentially a good idea. But Council have not done much about it. It's kind of slid off the radar. Despite new developments in Brixton. Buildings are meant to be able to he retrofitted
Council should really being looking at it's stock and devising plan to decarbonise housing as much as possible. This after all is Council policy.
And planning this for Brixton. Not just writing aspirations in planning documents.
Plus the Fuel Poverty Action idea of set amount of free energy for all. Above which one pays. FPA have said look at whole structure of pricing.
I'm afraid what is going to happen is that the less well off average person will bear the brunt of energy increases.
Don't want to get into Ukraine but choices were made politically over this. If high price are due to this conflict I'm not so sure in long term that people will wear this. We aren't at war. Council are starting to use it as excuse for everything.
If we are then government should start to look at how things were done in WW2. Efforts were made to ensure all of the population had minimum standards of living. At this time only people who seem to be benefiting are energy companies and arms manufacturers. Both making big profits on back of this
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marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
Just been speaking to a colleague who works in the department that sets the heating charges for our flats - those with heat meters, etc will be charged less than those who pay the standard weekly charges (although it will depend on the usage of the heat meter folk) and the charges here (also a London Council) are going up a similar amount to the Lambeth charges . Going to be a tough year, as if things aren't bad enough. She was unsure of whether the charges will go down next year if energy prices go down, as part of the charges are for staffing costs, repair costs, etc and those are also increasing.
editor
hiraethified
I forgot to add that the back of the letter also helpfully advises residents that they can "avoid paying the revised rent by ending their tenancy."
This is cruel, harsh language to people already struggling to make ends meet.
I'm slowly stirring up some political responses to these increases and will be reporting back yet. I think even Lambeth know that shunting these huge increases on council tenants without consultation or sufficient warning, or giving them any means to reduce their own energy consumption is really unacceptable.
This is cruel, harsh language to people already struggling to make ends meet.
I'm slowly stirring up some political responses to these increases and will be reporting back yet. I think even Lambeth know that shunting these huge increases on council tenants without consultation or sufficient warning, or giving them any means to reduce their own energy consumption is really unacceptable.
Sasaferrato
We've been together now for twenty years...
Bloody hell! And this is supposedly a Labour council?
editor
hiraethified
Sasaferrato
We've been together now for twenty years...
Elections in May?
BusLanes
Pedestrian
May 2026, sadly. Lambeth/London were all up last year.
Lurdan
old wave
Standard wording on my (Tower Hamlets) Council rent increase notices for as long as I can recall. I suspect there is some legal reason for including it.
(Obviously they are still cunts aka landlords).
andysays
Love and solidarity
To update this post, I've just received notice of variation today, a mere 23 days before it's due to take effect, although it's dated 1st March.
The rent element has gone up about 7% which, although it's a lot less than the increase mentioned in the OP, is still much more than increases in previous years.
I'm able to afford it, but I imagine it will be a significant struggle for many.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
South London Press has something on this today
londonnewsonline.co.uk
Lambeth council tenants landed 353% increase in energy bills
A flat’s heating and hot water bill was hiked by more £2,200 per year.
londonnewsonline.co.uk
MirrorMirror
New Member
Have you asked any leaseholders how much they are being charged? On some estates leaseholders are being charged much less for their heating and hot water per annum. Almost £2,000 less, in fact. Lambeth are taking advantaged of the poorest.
MirrorMirror
New Member
To clarify. I've just had a convo with a leaseholder. Their charges have only increased by £200 per year.
