Elderly residents across Havering have been sent a very unwelcome Christmas present by the Tory Administration – a rise in the cost of their heating & hot water bills by 200%, with increases in some case going from £3.69 a week to a whopping £11.75. The charges are set to rise next year to £13.
Over 1000 Council tenants are affected, many of them elderly and vulnerable, such as those in sheltered housing accommodation and what a time to do it, just a few weeks before Christmas, when all of us are feeling the pinch in buying goods and presents for the festive period.
Nobody doubts that the cost of energy has risen over the last 24 months, my own bills have doubled in this time, however British Gas had the decently to write and tell me every other month or so to say it was going up and adjusted my bill. They did not save it all up to a month before Christmas and hit me with the lot in one go.
Running a Council has often been described like running a big business; after all it turns over almost £1 Billion a year. All I can say, is if this is the way the Tories wish to run Havering Council, I would not trust them to run a bath and a cold one at that as we cant afford the heating bills.
To cape the whole sorry tale, Senior Housing officers sent a briefing note to only the Conservative Councillors on Havering Council and the three Tory M.P.s. This was a shameful act, weather intentional or misguided, the Residents Group on Havering Council feel this was done to suppress the opposition and try and keep the whole thing a secret.
