Camden Council pays £1,852 after heating blunder leaves resident without heat for eight months

Camden Council has paid out £1,852.65 to a resident after contractors left him without heating for approximately eight months. The Housing Ombudsman ordered the council to apologise and reimburse the man, who has arthritis, for the significant period of disrepair and the council's handling of his complaints.

Prolonged period of disrepair

The resident reported heating issues to the council five times between February and June 2025. Contractors had initially removed a leaking radiator, blocking the heat supply to the entire property. Despite Camden Council's policy categorising such issues as emergencies requiring attendance by 8pm the same day, this standard was only met once. Two scheduled repair appointments in May were cancelled without prior notice.

It was not until September 2025, when the resident lodged a formal complaint, that the council acknowledged the repairs were incomplete. Throughout this period, he resorted to using electric heaters, which proved insufficient for adequately warming his home. The heating was eventually restored in October 2025.

Ombudsman's findings and compensation

The Housing Ombudsman's investigation identified maladministration by Camden Council, noting a lack of evidence that the council had considered the tenant's access to alternative heating during the eight-month period. While the council had offered payments, the Ombudsman deemed them insufficient, either falling short of policy entitlements or failing to reflect the severity and duration of the failures.

The Ombudsman ordered a specific, meaningful, and empathetic apology from the council. Although the council was unaware of the resident's arthritis, the Ombudsman suggested updating its records. The total compensation of £1,852.65 covered the loss of heating, the resident's expenditure on energy payments, and compensation for the time, trouble, missed appointments, and the council's inadequate complaint handling.

Council response and future actions

A spokesperson for Camden Council stated that the council takes its repair responsibilities seriously and apologised for the delays. The repairs are now complete, and the compensation has been paid, with the Ombudsman confirming the case is closed. The council has since appointed a new communal heating contractor and implemented improvements to its repair management processes.