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Communal heating charges 2020

Published: 08/07/2020

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet meets on 14 July when Members will be asked to approve changes to the current heating charges at council house properties with communal heating schemes.

Across Flintshire, there are eight communal heating schemes. There were nine, however the heating systems at Panton Place, Holywell, have been upgraded, so these tenants are now billed directly by their chosen utilities provider based on their own meter readings.

The Council negotiates fuel costs in advance and tenants benefit from the Council’s Industrial and Commercial Contract rate. The Council initially pays for the fuel, and then collects it back from tenants, with the aim of breaking even at the end of each financial year. Heating charges for fuel consumption are based on the previous year’s usage.

In the majority of cases, the recharge to tenants has reduced for 2020/21, which as in other years, would allow Flintshire to recover the projected costs of the heating charges whilst still passing on the benefit of reduced energy costs to tenants.  The exception Acacia Close, Mold which identifies an increase in heating charges of 7% (an average across the three property types of £0.59p per week). This compares with a reduction in heating charges for this site of 18% last year.

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Dave Hughes, said:

“Our energy efficiency work is helping to keep any necessary increases to a minimum.  I am pleased that we are able to offer a reduction in our heating charges for most of our tenants.  Our energy team will be working with the energy supplier of Acacia Close to install automatic readers to provide more accurate and timely billing.”

All changes will take effect from 31 August 2020.