"If I could move, I would to a place without a heat network. But I can't while this debt is hanging over me, says Anja Georgiou. The mother lives with her family in a rented flat in the River Gardens development in Greenwich in south-east London where, three years ago, residents were shocked to be presented with a surprise 200,000 bill for heating and hot water."
"Also known as district heating systems, these have been installed in many developments and supply heat from a central source via a network of pipes carrying hot water. The supplier is usually the landlord or freeholder, which buys energy on the commercial market for residents. Despite their growing use during the past few years in London, almost three-quarters of new homes have had heat networks installed the industry was, until a few days ago, unregulated."
"In the spring of 2023, River Gardens residents were told their energy tariff would change that summer from 20p a kilowatt hour with a 55p standing charge to 37p and 39p respectively. That wasn't the only bad news. The development's managing agent, Rendall & Rittner (R&R), said an extra charge was going to be slapped on their bills because of a 198,986 debt that had accumulated on the heat network's energy account over a 15-month period spanning 2022 and 2023."
Residents of River Gardens in Greenwich were presented with a surprise 200,000 bill for heating and hot water after being connected to a communal boiler heat network. Heat networks supply heat from a central source via pipes and are usually supplied by landlords or freeholders who buy energy on the commercial market for residents. Many new London developments have such systems; almost three-quarters of new homes have had heat networks installed. Until 27 January Ofgem did not regulate the sector; Ofgem now oversees the industry to protect customers and prevent unfair price hikes affecting 500,000–1 million households.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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