Sheltered housing and the energy discount.

Savvy_Sue

Manchesterlodger said:

luvchocolate said:

I live in a housing association flat for over 55s. This is not sheltered so rent is not including those things. 
We do have a communal laundry which is brilliant and gardeners. 
Rent is £81 per week and service charge include within that amount is £7 per week. 
Yes it's going up 7% in April but so much cheaper than private and more secure tenancy. 
Maybe this would be an alternative 

That sounds much more reasonable financially. I have not heard of these in the area I live in (Manchester). It mostly seems to be either sheltered housing (over 55's) or regular council housing which has extremely long waiting lists. Part of the issue for me now is that, under the council regulations, I would be viewed as "housed" as I am living in housing association sheltered housing - so if I were to go back on the council housing waiting list, I would have to wait far longer to be considered again. I will have to do something though because in the long term, the current increase really is not sustainable for me. 

It could be worth investigating a swap - you might find there's someone in over 55s who now needs sheltered. Swaps can bypass waiting lists, although there are risks. 

luvchocolate

Do a search of all housing association for over 55s in your area. 
And definitely look into a swap. 
I'm not far away from you in West Yorkshire 

Scot_39

whattochoose said:

Leaflet popped through my door regarding anticipated charges from April 2023 for gas and electricity, for Anchor sheltered housing tenants in my accommodation block.

According to Anchor, present charges are -
Gas 2.11p/kWh
Electricity 14.64p/kWh

From April 2023, prices are set to be -
Gas 10p/kWh
Electricity 34p/kWh

Anchor state that "the rationale for using the (above) figures to set budgets is that this is a price set independently by Ofgem".

Looking at the new prices is quite sobering and worrying, I think, especially the new price for gas. 

Those new prices are actually the current EPG average prices (for domestic variable rate tariffs from Oct - Mar).

But as the EPG is going up by 20% in April 2023 - from £2500 to £3000 for average home - we all expect them to increase say 20%.

So in fact you have actaully been paying far less than many normal homes on variable rate tariffs for a long time.

Manchesterlodger

Just an update - I received notice from my housing association and my rent (including the energy charge) is jumping higher than I anticipated. Currently pay £621.27 a month. From April I will be paying £858.17 per month. Basically half my salary will be going on rent before any other costs. Recently heard from someone else who is affected by a similar hike in energy charge on a communal boiler - their housing provider is increasing their rent by £500 a month. Someone has also drawn my attention to a class action lawsuit that is being organised by a legal firm due to the % increases in energy charge that individuals with a communal boiler are experiencing - https://www.leighday.co.uk/our-services/group-claims/heat-networks-group-claim/ 

The Independent has reported that some people's rent is increasing by 700%  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/energy-bills-price-cap-heating-b2009112.html

Am surprised the heat networks energy charge increase is getting more attention from Martin or other media - it's going to hit a lot of people who are on very low incomes - basically anyone who lives in a block with communal boiler. 

Nebulous2

Manchesterlodger said:

Nebulous2 said:

I've an acquaintance who has recently moved into sheltered housing, who generally has been quite happy. 

However the costs are a huge concern. They pay for communal heating and pay their own electric, using a meter. 

The housing association has indicated that they are just coming to the end of a 3 year fix for gas, and although figures haven't been given yet they should anticipate costs quadrupling. Its currently £30 a month and could rise to £120 from 1st April.  

They have also been told the service charge is likely to have a substantial increase. 

Thank you for this. If you find out from them what their new charges are going to be, please post (if you can). I understand that energy costs have increased but I am just speechless at the amount and also wonder how people are going to manage. 

Figures are now in, and its worse than we thought. Heating has gone from £36 a month to £160. Service charge is up over £70. An increase of £220 overall to £840.  Electric is metered separately from that. 

Manchesterlodger

Nebulous2 said:

Manchesterlodger said:

Nebulous2 said:

I've an acquaintance who has recently moved into sheltered housing, who generally has been quite happy. 

However the costs are a huge concern. They pay for communal heating and pay their own electric, using a meter. 

The housing association has indicated that they are just coming to the end of a 3 year fix for gas, and although figures haven't been given yet they should anticipate costs quadrupling. Its currently £30 a month and could rise to £120 from 1st April.  

They have also been told the service charge is likely to have a substantial increase. 

Thank you for this. If you find out from them what their new charges are going to be, please post (if you can). I understand that energy costs have increased but I am just speechless at the amount and also wonder how people are going to manage. 

Figures are now in, and its worse than we thought. Heating has gone from £36 a month to £160. Service charge is up over £70. An increase of £220 overall to £840.  Electric is metered separately from that. 

Yes my electric is metered separately too. It's grim isn't it? You have my sympathy. Unless I can earn more, most of my income is going to go on keeping a roof over my head and paying for essentials. I will have very little discretionary income left. 

whattochoose

At present it all seems very grim doesn't it?
For this year I've been able to minimise the impact the increases will have by using my savings to open two year fixed saving accounts which pay a decent rate of interest. But who knows what the future holds?
As I've mentioned I'm a sheltered housing resident, and although I was expecting a big increase in my heating charges this year, it still came as something of a shock to see the actual increase.
I see that Scot_39 expressed the view that previously I'd been paying far less than most people anyway. But everything is relative isn't it? And if something goes up a very large amount to what you'd previously been paying, it's going to be a worry isn't it, particularly now that one is a certain age, and one's earnings potential is now severely diminished?  And also that now one sees that one's savings are going to fall victim to higher inflation than one had previously hoped.
Anyway, back to this years increases(s), and perhaps on a slightly more optimistic note, when I questioned my location manager about this years heating increases I got the following answer....

"I have asked about the energy contract , we are not going into any contract at we are keeping to variable so that hopefully as soon as there is a good deal we can just sign into it, so its day by day at present."

This fills me with some hope about the future trajectory of heating prices, as does this.....
https://moneyweek.com/personal-finance/605440/will-energy-prices-go-down

I'm just hoping the overall situation improves during the course of the year.

Help_me1_please

I live in a flat that shares  communal boilers, I moved here 3 years ago when rent and service charges were £127 per week, the flats are warm so I've never used my heating, my rent and service charges are jow £223.21 a week and £41.10 of that is weekly charge firbpersonal heating and hot water, I have an electric shower so only use hot water for washing up, then I pay £29.65 a week for adjustment fees, these payments for heating is the same in the Summer as in the Winter, they won't turn heating down, I know if i had my own heating I would not use £41.10 in a week, all the residents had a letter from our housing association to say that we were going to have a gadget to put on our radiators to see what we independently use, but they scrapped that and bought to new boilers which we now are obviously paying for on our new Rent and service charges, is this fair? Is this legal? I'm retired through I'll health and I'm on benefits, it's now getting to the point where I pay bills or eat, bills com first as I don't wantvto ever be in debt again, can anyone help or explain there massive increase over 3 years? Thanks