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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Social housing tenants fear poverty as energy bills rise | Social housing tenants fear poverty as energy bills rise |
| (3 months later) | |
| Emmanuel Court provides social housing for people aged 55 plus | Emmanuel Court provides social housing for people aged 55 plus |
| Sheltered housing tenants fear falling into poverty after seeing their energy bills rise by more than 100%. | Sheltered housing tenants fear falling into poverty after seeing their energy bills rise by more than 100%. |
| Emmanuel Court in Clifton is on a heat network and residents do not have individual meters, so cannot cut their costs by reducing their energy use. | Emmanuel Court in Clifton is on a heat network and residents do not have individual meters, so cannot cut their costs by reducing their energy use. |
| Social care charity Brunelcare warned the situation facing residents this winter was the worst in recent history. | Social care charity Brunelcare warned the situation facing residents this winter was the worst in recent history. |
| The government is offering support for heat networks similar to the energy rebate, but has yet to publish details. | The government is offering support for heat networks similar to the energy rebate, but has yet to publish details. |
| Richard Boden, 78, who has lived at Emmanuel Court for 12 years, told BBC West that residents felt helpless in the face of energy prices rises. | Richard Boden, 78, who has lived at Emmanuel Court for 12 years, told BBC West that residents felt helpless in the face of energy prices rises. |
| The increases are lower than the 400% forecast before the government introduced a relief scheme, but Mr Boden warned bills would still be crippling for some. | The increases are lower than the 400% forecast before the government introduced a relief scheme, but Mr Boden warned bills would still be crippling for some. |
| "It's not a question of 'won't pay', it's that they can't pay," he said. | "It's not a question of 'won't pay', it's that they can't pay," he said. |
| Richard Boden is trying to help residents at Emmanuel Court access financial support for their bills | Richard Boden is trying to help residents at Emmanuel Court access financial support for their bills |
| Mr Boden's bills are due to increase from £27.25 to £56.20 per week, he said. | Mr Boden's bills are due to increase from £27.25 to £56.20 per week, he said. |
| "There's been lots of news about the average person, but nothing has been said about us at all and we are in a worse situation. | "There's been lots of news about the average person, but nothing has been said about us at all and we are in a worse situation. |
| "I've had a 60-year-old man crying on my shoulder," he added. | "I've had a 60-year-old man crying on my shoulder," he added. |
| Mr Boden and his neighbour Patrick Quinn, 72, have set up a community group to try and help residents access support to pay their bills. | Mr Boden and his neighbour Patrick Quinn, 72, have set up a community group to try and help residents access support to pay their bills. |
| Mr Quinn said: "People are rightly angry and extremely worried and that's obviously going to take its toll on people's health." | Mr Quinn said: "People are rightly angry and extremely worried and that's obviously going to take its toll on people's health." |
| Patrick Quinn said spiralling energy bills were affecting his neighbours' mental health | Patrick Quinn said spiralling energy bills were affecting his neighbours' mental health |
| Oona Goldsworthy, chief executive of Brunelcare, said the charity was looking into whether meters could be installed in individual flats, but warned it might costs hundreds of thousands of pounds. | Oona Goldsworthy, chief executive of Brunelcare, said the charity was looking into whether meters could be installed in individual flats, but warned it might costs hundreds of thousands of pounds. |
| She said there was real concern about what would happen once the relief schemes came to an end in March. | She said there was real concern about what would happen once the relief schemes came to an end in March. |
| The charity set up a £20,000 hardship fund for residents that was designed to last a year, but the sum has almost been spent after only three months. | The charity set up a £20,000 hardship fund for residents that was designed to last a year, but the sum has almost been spent after only three months. |
| Ms Goldsworthy said the situation was "the worst I've known it". | Ms Goldsworthy said the situation was "the worst I've known it". |
| She said Brunelcare had been set up to help families, left homeless during the Blitz, with the motto: "Stay alive, stay warm, stay fed". | She said Brunelcare had been set up to help families, left homeless during the Blitz, with the motto: "Stay alive, stay warm, stay fed". |
| "I can't believe we are coming back to that now, we shouldn't be here in the 21st century." | "I can't believe we are coming back to that now, we shouldn't be here in the 21st century." |
| Oona Goldsworthy said the situation for Brunelcare residents was the worse she had ever known | Oona Goldsworthy said the situation for Brunelcare residents was the worse she had ever known |
| The government has been promoting heat networks as part of its net-zero strategy, because one source of heat supplies all the buildings connected to the network rather than individual boilers. | The government has been promoting heat networks as part of its net-zero strategy, because one source of heat supplies all the buildings connected to the network rather than individual boilers. |
| Heat networks were also once a way of supplying cheaper energy to housing blocks, with housing associations acting as a commercial supplier for tenants. | Heat networks were also once a way of supplying cheaper energy to housing blocks, with housing associations acting as a commercial supplier for tenants. |
| A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "People who use heat networks will receive help with their heating and hot water bills through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. | A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "People who use heat networks will receive help with their heating and hot water bills through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. |
| "We passed legislation last week that means heat network suppliers must pass on savings they receive through the scheme. | "We passed legislation last week that means heat network suppliers must pass on savings they receive through the scheme. |
| "Those using heat networks will also receive a £400 discount on bills, or via an equivalent scheme for those without a domestic electricity meter. | "Those using heat networks will also receive a £400 discount on bills, or via an equivalent scheme for those without a domestic electricity meter. |
| "Most heat network consumers will also save money on their bills via reductions in the cost of electricity through the Energy Price Guarantee." | "Most heat network consumers will also save money on their bills via reductions in the cost of electricity through the Energy Price Guarantee." |
| Stephen Knight, director of the Heat Trust, a consumer champion for heat network customers, said the details of the scheme had yet to be shared but pensioners and those on disability benefit, as well as people on low-income benefit or tax credits, should also be entitled to the government's Cost of Living Payment. | Stephen Knight, director of the Heat Trust, a consumer champion for heat network customers, said the details of the scheme had yet to be shared but pensioners and those on disability benefit, as well as people on low-income benefit or tax credits, should also be entitled to the government's Cost of Living Payment. |
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| Related Topics | |
| Cost of living | |
| Bristol |