Computer says GO.  Tenants say NO.

Tenants holding up placards saying "Lambeth We Need To Talk And You Need To Listen"

Background to a nightmare

A lot of Lambeth council tenants (about 3500 properties) live on estates with a heat network – a communal heating system that works like central heating for the whole building or the whole estate. And they pay a fixed amount to the council for that as part of their service charge. In April 2023, there was a huge 353% increase in the cost of this so some people were paying over £80 a week, for heat and hot water alone. The increase has been halved this year, but prices remain about 175% higher than they were two years ago. Unlike people with their own gas boiler, they can’t switch supplier, can’t turn it off, and can’t reduce the cost by cutting down on heat. 

On top of this, they started receiving threats of eviction, telling them that if they can’t pay this much, they can give up their homes.  And getting actual notices of seeking possession, and court proceedings – no matter if they are elderly or disabled or had young children. Obviously, people have been desperate. They tried to appeal to the council but it was like a brick wall.  

Council officers know what residents are facing. They have even been to some of the estates, and heard what people are facing, but their response has been: you must pay us your rent or leave. They have designated a service charge for heat and hot water as part of rent – despite the fact that there is no housing benefit for it and no regulatory limit on heat and hot water increases, like there is with rent and the domestic energy market. To square the circle, they make patronising suggestions that people take on a second job, work longer hours – even those with  children – or use payments intended for disability needs, or do just anything to raise money to pay them. A lot of tenants have been going hungry, and working day and night to try to raise these sums. Pensioners are giving Lambeth money they had saved up for their funeral. There are people pushed to the point of mental breakdowns, struggling to hold things together for their children.

Starting London Tenants Heat Campaign

Tenants and leaseholders came to London Tenants Federation and Fuel Poverty Action for support. Together, we gave them a hand in forming a group, which became Lambeth Tenants Heat Campaign (LTHC). LTHC has regular meetings of tenants and some leaseholders from several estates, all with the same problem. We would like other Lambeth council estates on heat networks to join the campaign. It uses twitter @fight4heat_LBL and an email [email protected] as effective methods of getting its message out to the public and powers that be. LTHC also uses FPA’s website as a good signpost for people to learn about what is happening.  

LTHC wrote to Lambeth for over two months to get the council to speak to them. Courageously, LTHC members spoke out to the media. Tenants appeared twice on BBC TV, were in the national papers, local papers, on the Eddie Nestor show on Radio London. And they’ve been all over social media. A total of 69 housing campaigns and other related organisations signed an Open Letter to Lambeth supporting the tenants’ demands. By amplifying its demands through social media, news media and protest, the group finally got a meeting with the councillor responsible for housing. 

Recently LTHC organised a demonstration where attending tenants held one letter each of the words: “Lambeth, We need to talk and You need to Listen!”.  This idea, and help with the signs, came from tenants on a heat network in Camden. People do talk to each other – even across boroughs! And we’ve learned that Lambeth is a real outlier. Lots of places have had a steep rise in heat charges but nowhere else do tenants face eviction threats!  This is not a force of nature, which sadly cannot be helped. It is a choice that has been brutally applied. 

On 20 March, Lambeth finally agreed to meet LTHC. We met the Council’s cabinet member for housing, Maria Kay, and its income development manager, Mark Gillies, who is in overall control of administering rents. The councillor heard tenants say they have received letters threatening eviction proceedings and she said it shouldn’t be happening. Despite everything, she said they hadn’t been aware that people were getting notices of seeking possession for heat arrears. She and the income development manager promised to look into these cases because “this should not happen”. They also said that if people are paying they “should not be getting” letters, and Mark Gillies said he would investigate how that was happening.

So altogether, this was positive news!  Lambeth’s policy is not to evict on the grounds of arrears due to heat network charges. But we are aware that Lambeth has a long history of promising one thing and then saying the opposite, or saying one thing and doing the opposite. There has recently been a change of portfolio, so we may need to reinforce the message with a new cabinet member for housing. Some residents are justifiably very sceptical of anything Lambeth says, and also extremely angry about the way they’ve been terrorised. Their lives and their children’s lives have been turned upside down by this. 

In fact, a number of people have had notices of seeking possession since that meeting, and residents are still being told they have to find the money somehow or lose their homes. Maybe the message hasn’t trickled down to the officers yet?  Or the automated systems are in charge now? It has not only been threats – at least one case has been taken to court!

Enter the courts

On 19 April a twitter thread from Macintosh Court Residents Association (@court_sw16) reported that in a court case at the Gee St Courthouse, a judge had sided with a tenant who had been taken to court by Lambeth for service charge arrears.  The post says the judge “told Lambeth to sort themselves out . . . service charges and rent should be separated, she [the judge] cannot evict for service charge arrears, she said. Lambeth must not send him [the tenant] any more threatening letters or phone calls for 3 months while they sort this mess out.” The Residents Association says they have been told there are more summonses in the pipeline, but asks: “Is Lambeth Council really gonna force a bunch of our elderly and disabled to make this journey after being told not to waste the court’s time?”  

The judgement has not been made public, and it is unclear what is supposed to happen in three months’ time. Residents are left uneasy about their future. But this is still very encouraging. It has been LTHC’s position from the start that heat charges are not rent and cannot be the basis of eviction.  

Computer says GO

The point about separating heat charges from rent, referred to in the thread about the court case, is crucial. At the 20 March meeting, Maria Kay and Mark Gillies explained that possession notices were triggered automatically. Since then we’ve found out that Lambeth’s software makes no distinction between rent arrears and and heat charge arrears, so whenever your total arrears go over a certain amount, the computer sends out the notice of seeking possession. And despite all the complaints and the pleading letters and the calls to councillors and calls to the office, and supporting letters from advice agencies, and all the media, and 69 organisations signing an open letter written by FPA and LTF… despite all this, no one has seen fit to fix that little glitch in the software. Computer says go. 

Wouldn’t it be extraordinary if Lambeth’s computer software is allowed to defy both the council’s stated policy and a court, and continues to press for tenants to be evicted because of their heat charge arrears? Extraordinary things do happen these days. The Post Office’s computer saga is not the only case where people’s lives have been devastated, or indeed ended, by unhearing uncaring electronic machines. It is not the only case where the machine’s human masters were told – and knew – what was happening, and chose to allow it to continue. But in our meeting with the head of housing and homelessness and the income development manager on 20 March, it was explicit that they wanted to avoid a Horizon scandal in Lambeth. The head of housing said they would work with, not against, the residents, and would investigate what was going wrong and stop it happening. 

The question is – against a maverick assault on council tenants, what is the weight of  the combined forces of the tenants, leaseholders, other residents, supporters, sympathetic councillors and council officers, the housing movement, the many people fighting for fair energy pricing, the remaining legal protections available in the UK, and the imminent legislation on heat networks? Will all this be decisive in defending Lambeth tenants’ homes? Will we force the computer to blink first? 

Their software can and must be changed. There must be no such evictions and no more “automated” warning letters. Lambeth must urgently make public what they told us in our meeting: that they will not evict for heat arrears. It is urgent that they make this clear so they stop destroying their residents’ mental health. They must first notify the residents who’ve had these threatening letters, so people can sleep at night and start eating three times a day. They might want to consider an apology…

Then we have to make sure the heat and hot water actually works consistently, to an acceptable standard – on top of the high prices it is now very unreliable and inefficient as well. And the council has to work out payments that people can actually afford. But we are a long way from where we were when this campaign started. 

Computer says GO. Tenants say NO.  

Ruth London May 2024

Seeking freelancer in Manchester

Picture of megaphone announcing "we are hiring"

Local hub support role – self-employed

Following the successful launch of our first local group, in Glasgow, Fuel Poverty Action wants to develop a hub in Manchester.

We are looking to engage a freelancer to help establish this hub, which will support residents of Manchester and Greater Manchester to take meaningful action against fuel poverty. As well as to provide some remote additional capacity to the Glasgow hub.

About the role
This fixed-term role involves recruiting a small Steering Group for the Manchester hub, and supporting them to lead and develop the group as a focal point for energy justice campaigns in Greater Manchester.

By the end of the eight months, the aim is to have the Manchester hub successfully established and able to self-organise with light-touch support from FPA.

The ideal applicant will have experience in community organising or community development and training, and a background in campaigning. They will be passionate about FPA’s aims and believe in the power of people coming together to demand change.

Terms and conditions
Period: May to December 2024 (32 weeks/8 months)
Hours: By agreement, estimated at 10-15 hours per week or 6-8 days per month. Will include daytime hours as well as evening (and occasional weekend) meetings
Pay: £22-27 per hour, negotiable depending on experience
Location: Within commutable distance of central Manchester
Reporting to: FPA Organising Lead

The successful applicant will be engaged on a self-employed basis and responsible for their own tax and National Insurance contributions. They will require access to wi-fi and a mobile phone and laptop.

FPA acknowledges that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in progressive movements and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We aim to provide equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background, and to be a truly anti-racist organisation. We are therefore particularly keen to receive applications from communities experiencing racism; disabled people; people who identify as being LGTBQIA; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past.

Key responsibilities

  • Lead outreach to organisations and networks to recruit members to a hub Steering Group
  • Provide admin and logistical support to the Steering Group, including ensuring that meetings are well-attended and accessible
  • Support Steering Group members to develop their own organising skills (using materials and training toolkits designed by FPA or other partners)
  • Support activities that members choose to take on, including comms support and attendance at meetings and actions, until the group is able to do this itself
  • Design and develop further toolkits (alongside FPA staff) as needed to upskill the membership
  • Liaise closely with FPA staff via a range of communications channels
  • Flag wellbeing/access needs in the Manchester hub for FPA staff to address
  • Occasional travel to Glasgow or FPA national meetings

Person specificationEssential

  • Experience of working or volunteering in a campaigning environment
  • Experience of building, fostering and supporting diverse teams of people
  • Meeting organisation and facilitation experience – in-person and remotely
  • Excellent interpersonal awareness
  • Ability to creatively overcome challenges by presenting new ideas
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to build strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders
  • IT literacy, including Zoom, Canva and simple image and video editing tools
  • Proficiency in using social media and other communications channels e.g. WhatsApp, Slack, Signal, Instagram, X and Facebook
  • Highly organised, self-directed and adaptable
  • A passion for justice and political engagement

Person specificationDesirable

  • Graphic design skills
  • A background in environmental, anti-poverty or housing justice activism
  • Connections to social movements and trades unions in Manchester
  • Experience working with volunteers and vulnerable groups
  • Experience in encouraging activists to self-organise
  • Experience of creating campaign toolkits
  • An understanding of climate and fuel poverty issues and how they intersect
  • An understanding of how to build an effective strategic campaign

How to apply
Please send a CV and a short covering letter (max. one page A4) covering three questions:

  • Why are you applying for this role?
  • What relevant experience do you have for this role?
  • What excites you about working with FPA?

You should send your application to [email protected] by no later than 9am on Monday 29th April, with the subject title: [Your Name] Hub Support Worker application.
Selected candidates will be invited to interview on Weds 1st May. We would like the work to start as soon as possible.
Please visit fuelpovertyaction.org.uk for more information about FPA, and contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

About Fuel Poverty Action
FPA is a campaigning organisation at the heart of the fight for warm, well-insulated homes and clean and affordable energy, under the control of people and communities, not private companies and the fossil fuel industry. We care passionately about climate change, and want to see the UK’s energy system decarbonised as rapidly as possible with a just transition for communities and workers. Alongside pensioners groups, disabled campaigners, tenants’ organisations and others on the frontline of fuel poverty, we’re using protest and direct action to fight for real, sustainable solutions to the cold homes crisis.

National Day of Action – 6th March

On 6th March, FPA will join Unite Community, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) and many more to Unite 4 Energy For All and protest the number of people suffering due to cold and damp homes.

On March 6th, the government will announce its Spring Budget, which will likely be the last budget before a general election. Throughout austerity, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ‘cost of living’ crisis, government’s policies have actively contributed to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths. Join us to demand an end to deaths fuelled by poverty.

Events are being planned in:

  • Barnsley – Meet 12.00 at Tower Centre Precinct near Coffee Boy.
  • Birmingham – Meet 12.00 New Street Station.
  • Bristol – Meet 11.30 at Tony Benn House, Victoria St, BS1 6AY.
  • Exeter – Meet 13.00 at Exeter Central Train Station.
  • Glasgow (8th March) – Meet 12.00 at The Platform Cafe, Easterhouse.
  • Halifax – Meet 12.00 at Southgate, above Market.
  • Ipswich – Meet 11.00 outside Boots, Tavern Street.
  • Irvine (5th March) – Meet 12.30, Bridgegate.
  • Leeds – Meet 11.30 outside Leeds Bus Station (John Lewis End).
  • London – Meet 12.00 at College Green (Abingdon Street Gardens), SW1P 3SE.
  • Manchester – Meet 13.00 outside Boots, Market Street.
  • Newcastle – Meet 11.00 at Grey’s Monument.
  • Newport – Meet 12.00 John Frost Square outside Kingsway Centre, NP20 1ED.
  • Norwich (5th March) – Meet 11.00 outside the Market, Gentleman’s Walk.
  • Portsmouth – Meet 12.00 outside Civic Offices.
  • Sheffield – Meet 12.00 outside the Moor Market.
  • Southampton –   Meet 11.00 outside Poundland, Above Bar Shopping Precinct.
  • Swansea – Meet 11.00 outside Quadrant Shopping Centre.           

Contact [email protected] to connect with local groups.

Guest blog: Lambeth Tenants Heat Campaign

Lambeth Town Hall

LAMBETH RESIDENTS FACE EVICTION WHEN WE CAN’T PAY ENERGY BILLS

As seen on BBC Morning Live, 15th December 2024

This guest blog has been prepared by tenants and residents of several Lambeth housing estates who have come together to form the Lambeth Tenants Heat Campaign, with support from Fuel Poverty Action and London Tenants Federation. More affected residents and other supportive organisations and individuals are now getting in touch.  

The blog includes the residents’ demands, background information, personal testimonies (anonymous and otherwise), statements of support, and their contact address.  They have written to Lambeth Council requesting an urgent meeting. 

Lambeth Tenants Heat Campaign can be contacted at [email protected]

Go here to read it.

Still from Morning Live report

Join or organise a #WarmUp this December!

✊Click out our #WarmUp This Winter Action Pack for all the resources you need to take part on 1st and 2nd December.

🍄Go here to Register your Warm Up (or use the form below if you have an Action Network login)

📍Go here or see the map below to find your nearest local action.

🔥Use our guide on How to Organise a Warm Up.

💻 Email [email protected] to be connected with your local organisers!

#BanForcedPPMs #EnergyForAll #ColdHomesKill #EndWinterDeaths

Take action this winter!

FPA members with banner

As temperatures begin to drop this Autumn, our blood boils at facing another winter with the political choice of fuel poverty.

Both main political parties seem to accept that sky-high energy bills are the new reality.

Take Action

Help us to fight this government’s culture war against the just and green transition we all need. A green new deal that guarantees heat and light to everyone.

Order free #EnergyForAll stickers to put up in your local area. QR codes will guide more people to our events and trainings.

Register for training to organise or take part in #WarmUp protests all around the country in December. See the growing list of actions below!

Join our team and look out for announcements of more events and actions.

And share this post from TwitterInstagram and Facebook!

Tell Ofgem to scrap the standing charge

e4a and FPA logos

Ofgem are coming under pressure to end the unfair standing charge on energy bills, which now stands at £25 a month before we have used a single watt of energy.

Ofgem has agreed to think about it a bit more, and make an announcement “within weeks”, but they are not seeking advice from fuel poverty organisations.

Please use this form to send a letter to the CEO Jonathan Brearley and ask your MP to do the same, so Ofgem can be in no doubt that it’s time to get rid of the standing charge.

Thanks for taking action!