Brent Residents Fear £450,000 Bill After 17 Days Without Heating

Residents of Middle Yard in Dollis Hill, Brent, have had their heating and hot water restored after a 17-day outage. The disruption occurred because of approximately £300,000 owed for gas and a further £300,000 for electricity, bills understood not to be the fault of the leaseholders. The gas supply was reinstated on November 9 following a High Court order.

During the period without essential services, residents in at least 126 homes relied on temporary measures, including electric heaters and outdoor mobile shower units provided by the freeholder and developer, Union Developments. Some residents reported using basement flats which became extremely cold, with one resident stating they had osteoarthritis and found the conditions difficult.

Concerns over Historic Debts

A significant concern for residents is the potential for them to be billed for the historic energy debts. Leaseholders have been warned that these outstanding amounts could be added to their future service charge bills. While £150,000 of the gas bill was reportedly paid as part of the High Court proceedings, a further £150,000 for gas and the full £300,000 for electricity remain outstanding. Residents are awaiting further investigation into how these costs will be allocated.

Lucy Baxter, a resident, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the situation has been stressful. She expressed uncertainty about the service charges being issued, stating, “We believe that’s for the debt, and they said that for them to do an investigation for the debt, we need six weeks, so we don’t really know if we are going to be charged correctly or not.” She added that individual meters indicated she had paid her fair share, raising questions about whether some residents were paying for others' consumption.

Kaniz Gatt, another resident, noted that heating failures had occurred multiple times since she moved in in 2022. She described feeling powerless and highlighted the importance of heating as a basic necessity.

Support and Future Actions

Councillor Mary Mitchell, Leader of Brent’s Green Party, is supporting the affected residents. She stated that the residents will be seeking compensation, transparency, and accountability. Councillor Mitchell also indicated plans to call for a government review of legislation concerning leaseholders to protect residents from similar issues in the future. She commented, “Residents across Brent are being failed by housing associations and managing agents who are not providing the basic repairs and health and safety standards that they require.”

A spokesperson for Rendall & Rittner confirmed that heating and hot water services were restored on November 9. They stated that they are working with their client and contractor to resolve outstanding issues and are reviewing draft service charge accounts from periods before their appointment in May.

Union Developments stated they were upset for the residents and provided temporary heaters and showers. They also confirmed they are in the process of changing the energy supplier and managing agents.