Heating and Hot Water Charges: Are We Being Billed Fairly?
Many residents have asked us to look into the heating and hot water charges added to our weekly rent. Based on a full analysis of actual electricity usage and council billing methods, we at the Trellick Tower Residents' Association (TTRA) believe the current charges are not fair or transparent — and need to be reviewed.
What the Council Has Done
RBKC issued four quarterly consumption letters during 2024 showing how much electricity each flat used for heating and hot water. However, when it came time to set the weekly charge for 2025–26, they did not use the financial year data (April–March, which the statements actually cover). Instead, they averaged the calendar year 2024 and applied that as the estimated basis for everyone’s weekly charge.
That approach is flawed. Here's why:
The highest usage and prices occurred in January–March 2024, when both consumption and tariffs were unusually high.
Electricity prices have since dropped, and the most recent quarters show significantly lower costs.
If the council intends to charge based on “your actual usage” — as they have stated — then the calculation must reflect current unit prices, not an outdated yearly average.
How This Affects Residents
Every flat has been assigned a different weekly charge, and these numbers appear arbitrary. One resident in a 2-bedroom flat was charged £64.31 per week, another £58, and another as much as £75.
In one detailed case (Flat 150), the total actual cost of heating and hot water over the full year — based on the council’s current rates — was £2,482.70. But the council billed that flat £3,344.12, creating an overcharge of £861.
That’s nearly £17 more per week than what the resident should be paying, on average.
This kind of overcharging undermines the council’s stated policy of “paying based on your usage.” If they genuinely want to implement that policy, they must apply current prices to each flat’s actual electricity consumption — not outdated averages from earlier in the year.
Fixed Charges: Not Actually Fixed
Another issue we’ve uncovered is that the “fixed charge” — which should be a consistent daily standing fee — fluctuated across the year. The “fixed charge” the council applies has been stated as 6.2p/day or 3.4p/day in letters, but our analysis shows actual fixed charges varied significantly by quarter. Some residents were charged over £60 in a single quarter, raising further concerns about how these fees are being calculated. This suggests either a miscalculation or the inclusion of additional hidden costs.
How We Can Help
On behalf of all residents, we requested that RBKC:
Recalculates 2025–2026 heating and hot water charges using individual metered consumption and current tariffs.
Issues corrected rent bills for all residents, removing overcharges.
Establishes a year-end reconciliation process to adjust for over/underpayments.
Enables access to Zigbee meter data (web portal, app, or in-flat device).
Sends a yearly summary letter to every resident, showing:
Day/night usage by quarter
Tariffs applied
Fixed charges and admin fee
VAT and total cost
Effective unit rate and weekly equivalent
We sent the final request email on the 31-st of May 2025. They reserve 10 working days to reply.
What You Can Do
We’ve created a simple online calculator to help you find out how much your heating and hot water should cost, based on your actual usage.
To use it, you’ll need:
The quarterly electricity consumption letters you received in 2024
The weekly heating and hot water charge listed in your rent bill for 2025–26
The calculator will show how much you were actually likely to use, how much it should cost based on current RBKC rates, and whether you were overcharged.
How to use it:
Go to File > Make a copy
Enter your day and night usage for each quarter
Enter your weekly heating & hot water charge
Your results will appear automatically
Don’t Have All Four Letters?
Many residents weren’t advised to keep their quarterly statements. If you’re missing one or more, you can ask the council to resend them. If you are missing only one letter, we may be able to estimate the missing one based on existing data from other flats.
If you’d like help, or if you want to share your documents with us, please contact the TTRA member Mary Toover over WhatsApp using +447506223744. We’re gathering as much data as possible so we can represent residents effectively and press for fair, accurate billing for all.
This is your smart meter for heating and hot water showing the total amount of units used. If you take a picture of it today, and another after a month, you will know how many units you have used
