Residents in a northwest London block of flats have been without heating and hot water since October 23 due to historic unpaid energy bills totaling approximately £600,000. The affected building in Dollis Hill houses around 126 homes. The outstanding debt is split between £300,000 owed to the gas provider and £300,000 to the electricity provider.
Rendall & Rittner, the building's management company which took over in May of this year, acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and its impact on residents, particularly families and vulnerable individuals. The company stated that its immediate priority is to support residents and work with the freeholder and energy supplier to reinstate the gas supply as quickly as possible.
Tenants reported receiving a warning letter from a debt collection agency about three weeks prior to the outage, but have since felt uninformed about the ongoing situation. Management, however, claimed that residents have been kept informed since the outage began and that a residents' meeting is planned for the near future.
One resident, Lucy Baxter, who moved into the building four years ago, expressed concern about the lack of heating and hot water, especially for her one-year-old child. She noted that other vulnerable residents, including the elderly, disabled individuals, and families, are also struggling with the cold conditions.