Decision details

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability seeking to approve new charges to tenants for landlord controlled heating from 7 October 2013.

(i)  To amend the basis for the future operation of the landlord controlled heating account as set out in paragraph 11 of the report;

(ii)  To agree a one-off contribution of £391,000 from available HRA balances in 2013/14 to reduce the current deficit on the heating account;

(iii)  To agree that charges to tenants for landlord controlled heating are limited to an increase of 2.5% from 7 October 2013; and

(iv)  To thank the Tenant Resource Group for their input to the charge setting process and to note their endorsement of the recommendations above.

The financial outturn for 2012/13 shows that the deficit on the heating account has reduced by £51,200 to £1,405,800 during the financial year. Although the level is reducing, the deficit is £103,000 higher than forecast in August 2012 due to the longer than expected cold period at the beginning of the year. It is, therefore, necessary for Cabinet to agree measures aimed at continuing to eliminate the deficit whilst also recognising the increased pressures on residents and the ongoing affects of fuel poverty.

1 One alternative option is to continue to increase charges in line with energy inflation, which could increase levels of fuel poverty in deprived areas of the city and compound some of the impacts of welfare reform.

2 Another alternative option is not to increase charges to tenants, which would result in an increased deficit on the landlord heating account.