Changes to communal heating

Can you tell me more about when my communal heating will be on?

We have reduced the heating season by six weeks – heating will go on four weeks later than previously and go off two weeks earlier. 

The heating season for 2024/25 is 13th October 2024 – 10th May 2025.

We are closely monitoring weather conditions and temperatures in your buildings. 

If you are unsure about the hours of heating you will receive, please call the Communal Heating Team, Project Liaison Officer on 020 7527 8239.

Why have some blocks got their heating on now when mine is off?

Some sites have slightly different arrangements because they have different heating distribution systems and their heating is directly linked to their hot water.  

What can I do to help keep bills down for myself and other residents?

Whatever the type of communal system, the less heat we all use the lower the bills will be overall.

If everyone only has radiators on in rooms when you need them, the overall cost will be lower. If the systems use less gas than predicted, that saving will be passed on to residents. 

If your radiator’s valves are not working properly, please call 0800 694 3344 or report the repair online to arrange to have them checked.

What if I need more or less heat?

If you are a resident who doesn’t need heating during the day, the best thing you can do is turn your radiators down when you don’t need them. This will help to reduce the cost of the service for everyone, as boilers won’t have to work so hard.

If you need more heat than most other residents, you may want to use a temporary electric heater to top up your heating when you need it, in the part of your home you need it most. You will pay for any energy you use as part of your electricity bill. Some electric heaters are cheaper to run than others. It is important you understand the costs of electric heating as it can be costly to run – that's why we recommend only using it when and where necessary.

Tips to manage how much you spend on topping up with electric heating

• If you have to use electric heaters, oil-filled heaters with a thermostat are usually the best choice as they still give out heat even when they are switched off after use and you can control the temperature of the room to prevent over-heating and wasting money.
• Put on additional layers of clothing to reduce the need for using an electric heater as much.
• Use hot water bottles or electric blankets to reduce the need for using the electric heater as much.
• The use of timer plugs can help to control your usage of electric heaters, especially those that don’t have a thermostatic control. You can decide to have it on between 1-3pm and then 5-7pm for example and know that you have spent about £4 in doing so.
• Only use electric heaters in the room that you are using and close doors to keep the heat in that room.
• Use a thermometer to make sure you are not heating the room above the desired temperature (18C for those that don’t have a health vulnerability made worse by the cold and up to 21C for those that do).
• If you are buying an electric heater, check the wattage of the appliance - 1000Ws or 1KW will cost about 45p an hour to run.

Why do I pay for my heating all year round when I only get heating for part of the year?

Heating costs are spread across the whole year to help you manage the cost of your service.

We work out the rough total costs of your service across your heating season in time for the start of the financial year and divide it across 52 weeks. We set charges each year ready for starting in April.

If we didn't do this, the weekly charge would be higher during the heating season and there would be no cost to you at other times of the year.

If I am worried about being cold in my home, what should I do?

If you or someone you live with is unwell or more vulnerable to the cold, you may need more support.

Contact Housing Direct on 080 0694 3344 for support with a temporary heater to help increase and keep a good temperature in a room in your home. We can also refer you to our seasonal health intervention network (SHINE) who offer help and advice with keeping warm and reducing costs.

• Find more advice about keeping warm in the winter. 
• More information on help with energy bills.

Is there support if I’m struggling to pay my energy costs?

• Call: 020 7527 8222
• Email: HereToHelp@islington.gov.uk

What is the council doing to give me more control over my heating costs?

The council has been installing heat meters in homes since 2022. This means you can control your costs with pay-as-you-go meters and you will only pay for what heat you use.

Charges are based on the cost of delivering heat to each building, the price of gas, efficiency of the systems and boilers, and costs of the pay-as-you-go service.

We have to provide heat meters to communally heated homes by law, where we can as long as it we expect you will save money on energy. We are continuing to install meters in 2025.

The way some of our heating distribution networks are designed make it very difficult to put meters in place and we are working with industry experts to be able to install them.