Social Housing tenants in Drogheda paying 'astronomical' heating bills of up to €2000

It has been reported that tenants in a social housing estate in Drogheda are paying up to €2000 per month for their heating bill. 

Concerns were raised amid reports high heating bills in Tullybrook Court in Drogheda, managed by Approved Housing Body (AHB) Clúid. 

Independent councillor for Drogheda Declan Power told the February meeting of Drogheda Borough Council that some families are now dealing with MABS (Money Advice & Budgeting Service) as a result. 

He said the reported heating bills are not affordable for families in social housing, of which, many are one-parent households. 

Cllr Power told the meeting that tenants were advised to leave heating on, and the heating system would "regulate itself". 

He said bills of €2,000 is the most that has been reported, with others paying between €1,200 and €600 per month.

Sinn Féin councillor Eric O'Donovan said Clúid, who work with local authorities to deliver affordable housing, should be held to a higher standard. 

He said "the onus is on the council as well, to have responsibility to the tenants, because many of the tenants have been have been referred to Clúid by Louth County Council."

Cllr O'Donovan said the reported heating bills "blew my mind" and said some of the housing units in Tullybrook Court are "not fit for purpose". 

"When the energy bills are coming in at €500 a month for single mothers, the system's broken, one of the suggestions that came in, I was mind blown, this individual needed to work on budgeting and work on managing her energy system. I think that’s completely unacceptable," he said.

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In a statement to Louth Live, a spokesperson for Clúid said "it is aware of issues with a number of heat pumps in Tullybrook Court" which it said were "resulting in residents receiving higher than expected utility bills". 

The Approved Housing Body said it has worked alongside "trusted contractors" and has rebalanced ventilation in some homes to improve heat pump performance. 

It said it has also replaced faulty tanks and provided residents with guidance on how to use their heat pumps most efficiently. 

However, it said recent investigations confirmed that while all apartments have functioning heat and hot water, there are still some residents who are still reporting issues. 

Declan Grimes, Senior Engineer with Louth County Council told councillors that there is "absolutely no way a tenant should be expected to pay those types of bills". 

He said it is "literally impossible for any of us to pay off €2,000 for a heating bill". 

Mr Grimes said Louth County Council will invite Clúid for a meeting on the matter.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.