Cost of heating advice

Just_2Tired_2_Dance

I live in a small 1 bed flat from the local housing association, I have to pay service charges and one of those is the monthly heating for my flat, Last year the cost was £26.98 This year it will go up to £113.32 , I dont have any meters or anything just the heating controls so in reality i could have the heating on 24/7 all year round or not at all, I doubt i will have any heating on for at least 6 months of the year but i will have to pay £1359 for the year anyways,

What i really want to know is does this sound to much to you even with all the rising costs, it does to me, If so what can i do about it,

Thanks 

Scot_39

Most people don't have the heating on for 6 months of the year.

Your bill is annualised - its an average - deliberately to avoid the much higher bills in winter.

My heating in coldest months means my winter bills are 3-4x my summer lows. 

That £1400, £113 pm, would maybe look more like £60 summer, £200 winter, without that averaging, causing many low income tennants a budgeting problem.

Council flats often aren't that well insulated, and if running the heat on a moderately high thermostat - say 19-21, then £1400+  whilst much more, is not excessive  - posters here have had really big bills cf even Ofgem cap for a larger house. Edit one in 80s c£940 - for just 3 months in a studio flat - and he was complaining  flat still too cold throughout.

Your rate last year is arguably the anomaly, not the current.

Most domestic users, even with the EPG at £2500, have seen big rises since last winter.  

And others on private central heat systems were fully exposed to wholesale rates saw very much higher bills - as not subject to the cap.

Many central heat systems can actually be metered. To bill individual residents for use.

My sis works for HA - they got so many complaints when unmetered from people thinking they were subsidising others they fitted them to all flat blocks when upgraded boiler and pump systems.

The heavy users then complained about bills rocketing.


There are several other threads here - some from other council Tennant blocks, with these sort of bill rises.

Search them out and read.  You are not alone e.g. thread title 

Communal Heating & Hot Water Charges

But merely arguably finally being caught by the real costs in the marketplace.

And although I know it doesnt help you going forward, perhaps look at it from the other perspective, and be greatful your council fixed the rates over this last winter.

tacpot12

£1359 is not that much to pay for as much heat as you want. As a single person in a small flat, your heating costs will never quite be in proportion to those with larger properties, due to Standing Charges or the  equivalent if you are on a District Heating system. 

Council flats are not always poorly insulated. I own one in a block where the council has installed cavity wall insulation. The flat has an EPC rating of C. 

Mstty

Just_2Tired_2_Dance said:

I live in a small 1 bed flat from the local housing association, I have to pay service charges and one of those is the monthly heating for my flat, Last year the cost was £26.98 This year it will go up to £113.32 , I dont have any meters or anything just the heating controls so in reality i could have the heating on 24/7 all year round or not at all, I doubt i will have any heating on for at least 6 months of the year but i will have to pay £1359 for the year anyways,

What i really want to know is does this sound to much to you even with all the rising costs, it does to me, If so what can i do about it,

Thanks 

Hi and welcome to the forum.

This may seem like a massive increase but is on a par with general increases and certainly not so exorbitant as others have posted from communal heating charges.

Does that include hot water as well?

Just_2Tired_2_Dance

Thank you everyone for your answers and suggestions
I have an electric shower which goes on my electric bill but I don't pay for the other hot water i use, washing up/washing etc  and the flats are very well insulated due to the amount of older people in the block

I just thought £1400 was expensive for only about 6 months use but having read some
of the other threads maybe not

Scot_39

A 10 min electric shower at 9kW, uses 1.5kWh - so about 50p - at an EPG of c34p.

So if at 1/day - £15pm/£180 per year - so not sure it would cover the cost of say a proper hot/cold mixer/power shower.  And then theirs the tennant / landlord issue - if it's their shower.

There are some that wouldn't matter too - and others it really would right now.

If there is enough pressure on both and balanced (so wont scald or freeze when a neighbour opens a tap or flushes the loo etc) a simple over the tap rubber hose style fitting assuming you also have a bath - from sub £10 on the high st - might save a few £s over time.

I used one for few months after my electric shower died during lockdown - far cheaper than a bath - but not quite the same - before got shower replaced.  It was scheduled earlier - but the electrician caught Covid earlier in the week work was due - so didn't rush to make another date for install.