Southampton tenants face sharp heating bill rises - 16/08/2012
Council tenants in Southampton may struggle to get cheap gas this winter after the local authority implemented a 19.5 per cent rise.
The Daily Echo reported the impact of three harsh winters has been blamed for the increase, which council bosses said is needed to cover a £1.5 million deficit in its energy budget for council homes.
Many tenants have complained that the authority, which retains central control of its properties' heating systems, has wasted money by failing to react to changes in the weather.
In recent years, the council has left heating on during unseasonably hot weather, which has left people paying for gas they do not need, as well as being forced to put up with sweltering temperatures.
Alan Kebbell of the Ventnor Court Residents' Association in Swaythling said: "There is something seriously wrong with the system. I think that heating should be metered."
Recently, the Yorkshire Post reported energy secretary Ed Davey has written to councils around the country urging them to consider negotiating bulk buying deals on behalf of local residents to offer them cheap prices.
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