Tenants in Wedgwood House, a 15-minute walk from Westminster Bridge, have united to challenge Lambeth Council after their heating bills surged by up to 350%. The building uses a communal heat network—a centralized boiler that supplies hot water to all 181 flats—which residents cannot control. Even during heatwaves, they must screw radiators tightly off, yet still face soaring costs.
Bills skyrocket after Ukraine invasion
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tenants saw bills rise dramatically, with some increases reaching 350%. Because energy costs are billed as a 'service charge', residents are not protected by the energy price cap, leaving annual bills more than double the cap. Many fell into debt and received eviction notices. Aida Haile, 55, who lives with her teenage son on universal credit, saw her weekly heating cost jump from £20 to £70 in 2023 with no breakdown. 'I felt sheer panic, there was no way I could afford it. I became depressed, and I stopped eating and sleeping,' she said. Despite a repayment plan, she added: 'No matter how much I pay, I am accumulating every week.'
Residents win judicial review
The tenants have been granted a judicial review, offering hope. Richard Clayton KC stated: 'I take that view that the Claimant’s grounds are realistically arguable in a context where they raise wider issues and points of law of general public importance.' Kirsty Oliveria, 58, saw a 350% increase. 'I honestly thought they had got it wrong. Even during the dead of winter I only heat my son’s bedroom,' she said. 'To my absolute shock they came back and said it was correct, but there was no way I was paying that.'
Widespread issue across London
A Freedom of Information request revealed that in 2024 alone, Lambeth Council served 801 eviction notices related to heat network debts. The Social Market Foundation estimates up to 900,000 households in the UK are on communal heating, including one in 12 social housing households. The Public Interest Law Centre filed the claims on behalf of Wedgwood House tenants. Lambeth Council declined to comment due to the ongoing legal case but previously stated possession hearings are a 'last resort' and that they work with residents on repayment plans.
