Huge increases on weekly rents, service charges and for Heating Pool. Residents are expected to pay extra £34.49 per week (based on two bedrooms property) on top of the current contribution of £19.71 per week just for the heating pool. On top of that there is a 7% increase on on the rent and other service charges.

Camden Council has given three options to DMCs to vote for. Those options can be seen here: Addendum on Heating Pool 11-01-2023

The impact of each option for a typical two bedroom flat, can be seen below:

With the exception of the Camden DMC, all other DMCs have approved the increases. It is obvious that other areas are much more affluent that the areas covered by the Camden Town DMC. See below:

What are the objections regarding the increases?

1. Camden Council is totally inefficient and incapable of saving any money.
   • The heating system on the Curnock Street Estate has been inefficient since the first day after its installation. Heating was and still is on even during the summer.
   • Communal lights are left on during the day because OpenView is incapable of doing anything right or fixing the problems with the timers.
2. Camden Council has never provided actual account reports which can be checked by the DMC reps. This means that DMCs do not know the facts and where the money is actually spent. The budgets are pure forecasts/speculation of how much money the council will like to collect in order to spend to their inefficient operations.
3. Camden Council is willing to spend £300,000 (shown on this budget) to visit people and let them know how to save energy. Why? Council is the freeholder and it is responsible for the buildings, windows, doors, heating etc. What could possibly those consultant advise to a poor resident? To turn the lights or the kettle off?
4. Camden Council has spent millions on a new boiler (see more here) for the Curnock Street Estate and new pipes connecting the different buildings. However they forgot to replace the rusty pipes and more importantly to insulate those pipes. That means that by the time the water travels from Goldthorpe (boiler room) to Trimdon via the non insulated pipe, the water temperature is dropped to an unacceptable level.
5. Residents suggestions to make the heating system more efficient has never been heard.

How will people pay for those increases?

1. Camden Council claims that 59% of the tenants which have service charges covered by the benefit system will not been affected.
2. Another 20% approx. will have a portion of the service charges paid by the benefits systems while …
3. The remaining 21% will need to find an extra £1,793.48 per year for the Heating pool on top of their current contributions.

What did the councillors said?

1. Cllr Shah Miah mentioned that increases were necessary and the council is not inefficient! He even argued that communal lights are on because it is necessary!
2. We will request other councillors to comment on those increases.

What is happening on other boroughs?

Residents on other boroughs has mentioned increases of up to 700%. In an article published today in The Guardian mentions that: “Lawyers are investigating the possibility of a legal claim on behalf of residents whose home heating and hot water is supplied through a heat network, the Guardian can reveal.” See the full article here: Energy bills: British flat dwellers with communal heating could sue operators

Relevant Documents:

• January DMC HRA Budget 202324 and Rent Setting Report
• Addendum on Heating Pool 11-01-2023
• Article in The Guardian: Energy bills: British flat dwellers with communal heating could sue operators