FAMILIES who are paying 30 percent more for their heating than other blocks on their estate say they are fed up waiting for an explanation for the discrepancy.

Council tenants in the Liston Way tower block on the Orchard Estate in Woodford Green were hit with a 44 percent rise in heating charges to £15.52 a week in April.

Neighbouring blocks were only charged an extra nine percent and residents of Liston Way say nobody at the council will tell them why.

All residents were asked to provide the council with meter readings in April to try to resolve the issue.

But Jim Brennan, 65, who lives in Liston Way, said: “We are still paying these charges and they are still doing nothing about it.

“To me it just looks like they do not want to admit they are overcharging us.”

Mr Brennan says a representative of Redbridge Homes told a residents meeting on July 3 that they had not received enough meter readings from residents to make a judgement on why the charges are so high.

But Liston Way resident Stewart Bisset, 65, said: “If the council say they have not received enough responses to draw conclusions, then why aren’t they sending their own people round?

“I have nothing to hide and surely only those who do would deny them access.

“A lot of people are struggling with these bills and everybody who lives here wants this sorted out.”

Outgoing cabinet member for Housing Robin Turbefield said residents would be charged individually for heating once work is completed on a new £11 million energy saving scheme which is due to begin on the estate later this year.

He added: “I agree that people should pay for what they use and once the energy saving improvements are made, that is what will happen.

“We wanted to get three separate readings for each flat and to have council officers trying to co-ordinate that would just not have been feasible.

“I do believe work is continuing to try and find why this discrepancy has arisen.”

The Guardian has asked Redbridge Council to comment.

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