Landlord controlled heating

The landlord supply is controlled by an outside thermostat or a time clock control system which typically, sees the landlord-controlled heating being turned off from approximately June to September.

Properties with underfloor heating have at least one floor mat with a thermostat to control it.

Properties with storage heaters have control through the storage heater itself. Storage heaters take a charge from the council’s off-peak supply, and they can be used through the day to heat the home. If the storage heaters run out of heat, it is possible to use the boost or fan facility to heat your home, but this will come from your own electricity supply (i.e. you pay extra to use the boost facility).

These are the instruction manuals for the main types of heaters:

• Dimplex quantum night storage heaters
• Dimplex XLS

Tenants sign a tenancy agreement with one of the main responsibilities being to pay rent on time and not get into arrears. Where applicable, the gross rent includes a heating charge.

By giving 28 days written notice, Southampton City Council can change the amount of rent and charges. Southampton City Council would only ever increase heating the charges to cover costs. The council is not permitted to make a profit from heating charges.

The heating charge is paid over the course of a year to make payments more manageable, rather than having very large bills in the winter and small bills in the summer.

Tenants should not turn off the landlord controlled heating at the meter. Tenants who do so will still be charged. Tenants are provided with a service and are legally responsible to pay for it.

It provides a simplified means of charging and recovering the energy resident's use.

SCC purchases energy annually. This bulk energy purchase includes negotiated discounts  when compared to individuals purchasing energy directly from suppliers.

The arrangement provides a tool to protect tenants from rapid price increases.

Tenants cannot currently disconnect, but Southampton City Council is considering alternative future arrangements. Any works need to be completed in a planned way, ensuring properties are first energy efficient and considering different solutions for the varying circumstances.

The council has a duty of care to provide residents with adequate heating, allowing piecemeal disconnections would risk Southampton City Council falling short in this duty with tenants not arranging an adequate replacement and/or making the choice not to heat their properties. This would potentially have serious negative consequences on the health of household members and the property condition.

The council is investigating moving residents off the LCH and onto their own individual heating and hot water systems, with smart meters and charged direct by the utility supplier. However, this needs to be done in a manner that ensures residents are not exposed to high bills and pushed into fuel poverty. 

Housing staff will continue to work with tenants, in particular any seen as at risk of having escalating debts, and ensuring they have access to support when managing their bills. There has been increased resources within the Customer Payment & Debt Team with a view to help support any tenant contacting them over their bills and payment plans.

If tenants are struggling to pay, Southampton City Council’s Welfare Rights & Money Advice Team is on hand to help. Southampton City Council’s Cost of Living information also provides lots of advice around managing household bills.

An Equality & Safety Impact Assessment (ESIA) has been developed to better understand how different people are affected and give proper attention to eliminating discrimination, advancing and fostering good relations.

Energy for the majority of the landlord-controlled heating is purchased annually. The charges run and are fixed during any financial year – 1 October to 30 September.  

The heating charges for properties are based on various criteria but primarily the square footage of the property that is heated.

The cost of energy has increased considerably. Southampton City Council realises that rises are never welcome but has kept increases to a minimum. The council’s heating account is ringfenced and so it is not possible to make a profit from these charges.

Although buying energy in advance provides a tool to protect residents from rapid price increases, when this is used it does mean that residents won’t experience decreases immediately in the same way as domestic customers. Deficits that accrue from not putting up prices during any spikes in cost need to be recovered.  The council does this via a smooth recovery over several years, managing the impact on tenants and allowing the council to be more reactive if wholesale energy prices reduce further.