ELDERLY residents at a North Belfast fold have been left shocked after being hit with a sudden price increase for their heating – just days before Christmas.
Residents of James Court in Kansas Avenue say they were informed by Choice Housing of the increase with little prior warning. They also said that they received a letter, which left residents fearing they could face debt collectors or having to leave their homes.
Resident, Bobby Megeraghty said many residents will struggle to find the extra money.
“These price hikes were sprung on us all without warning which was a great shock, especially when the letter mentioned debt recovery," he said.
"In my case, I’ll be expected to pay 154 per cent more than normal but others will pay up to 260 per cent more. We have been given no time to save or prepare.
"I’ve been without heating since March because of construction works, yet I’ve been paying for it every week and now I’ll be expected to pay more instead of receiving compensation.
"It feels very unfair that there's no sign of money coming in to help with the crisis but we'll have to pay out. Many of us are beyond retirement age and have no way to find the extra money.”
People Before Profit Councillor Fiona Ferguson said she was "appalled" and that elderly residents should have been given more time and support to prepare for the hike.
“I was appalled to read a letter from Choice Housing informing elderly residents in North Belfast of an impending heating price hike, with very little warning, and reference to debt collection and transfer to new accommodation. These residents should be able to expect much better than this.
“To land such a price hike on people who are mostly in receipt of benefits, weeks from Christmas and during the worst cost of living crisis is unconscionable.
"I urge Choice to consider covering the cost of some of the price rises, to protect residents, and to address long-term issues with energy efficiency in the Fold.
“This issue is clearly compounded by the lack of an Executive and the incompetence of the Tories, in Stormont’s absence, to deliver much-needed aid to people in need. Elderly people are facing an incredibly difficult winter because of conditions outside of their control and this latest development is a worry they should have been given more time and support to deal with.”
A spokesperson for Choice Housing said: “With the continued rise in energy prices alongside the wider cost of living crisis, Choice has worked hard to support our tenants through this particularly challenging time.
"The majority of households pay their heating costs directly to their supplier and have been subject to several increases since the beginning of the year. These increased charges relate to costs we incur for the shared gas supply to individual tenants’ flats, which we then recoup from tenants.
"Unfortunately, the rapid increase in the price of gas is completely outside our control and we have had to take the difficult decision to increase these heating charges. We are however closely monitoring gas costs and will revise costs accordingly if or when they reduce.
"We have met with tenants of James Court to discuss their concerns and are committed to ongoing meetings to ensure tenants are informed and supported. Specialist advice and support is also available for all tenants via our Financial Inclusion Team.
"Our Sustainability and Energy team will be conducting an assessment to identify energy saving initiatives that will help improve energy efficiency onsite”.
