By Paul Homewood
h/t Patsy Lacey
“Angry and frustrated” parents say their young children are going cold as heating costs on an Isle of Wight housing estate skyrocket to ‘unaffordable’ rates.
Residents of Bluebell Meadows and St George’s Gate claim they have been ‘lied to’ and feel ‘let down’, having been promised cheap bills and houses which were economical to run.
Residents faced soaring costs
Despite the estate using a unique biomass heating system — a centralised system which burns wood chippings to provide heat and hot water to homes — those living there say they have faced soaring costs in recent months.
Those responsible for the estate — Barratt David Wilson Homes, the Isle of Wight Council and Sovereign Network Group, which together form the Pan Management Company — say the surge in prices “reflect the handover of the biomass centre” to the estate management company.
In a joint statement, they said they were looking at the fuel supply arrangements to try to help reduce costs.
Lack of proper answers
Residents claim there has been a lack of “proper answers” and a meeting for residents arranged earlier this year was cancelled.
Mum-of-one, Amy, 28, is among those who have been calling for accountability.
In December, she said she was “mortified” to see her bills more than double, from £38 to £100 a month.
“There is only so much wrapping up in clothes and blankets you can do”
Amy said residents were ‘trapped’ and could not switch energy providers.
She said,
“Like many others on the estate, one of the main reasons I purchased a new build Barratts home was because of their unique selling point – the homes were economically efficient to run and now I can certainly say that is not true.
“I understand bills are going up, I expected them to, but not this much. Me and my little one have been really ill this past winter and there is only so much wrapping up in clothes and blankets you can do.”
Another resident, Louise, says she has had to buy electric heaters for her house but still has to pay her standing charge, which like other prices, has risen.
She said,
“I just want to heat my house without having to worry how I would have to pay for it.”
Told biomass system was the “most economical choice”
Meanwhile, resident Tina said when she moved in four years ago she was told the biomass system was the “most economical choice”.
Now it is ‘just ridiculous’, she said, as there is no protection for residents as Pan Energy is not regulated with Ofgem, meaning there is no price capping.
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Author: Paul Homewood
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