Residents of Bluebell Meadows and St George’s Gate in Newport claim they have been ‘lied to’ and feel ‘let down’, having been promised cheap bills and houses which were economical to run – but the reality is much different. Despite the estate using a unique biomass heating system — a centralised system which burns wood chippings to provide heat and hot water to homes — those living there say they have faced soaring costs in recent months, something first reported on by Island Echo back in December. Those responsible for the estate — Barratt David Wilson Homes, the Isle of Wight Council and Sovereign Network Group, which together form the Pan Management Company — say the surge in prices reflect the handover of the biomass centre to the estate management company. In a joint statement, they said they were looking at the fuel supply arrangements to try to help reduce costs. Residents claim there has been a lack of ‘proper answers’ and a meeting for residents arranged earlier this year was cancelled. 28-year-old mum-of-1, Amy, is among those who have been calling for accountability. In December, she said she was mortified to see her bills more than double, from £38 to £100 a month. Amy says residents are ‘trapped’ and can not switch energy providers. She’s said:
“Like many others on the estate, one of the main reasons I purchased a new build Barratts home was because of their unique selling point – the homes were economically efficient to run and now I can certainly say that is not true. “I understand bills are going up, I expected them to, but not this much. Me and my little one have been really ill this past winter and there is only so much wrapping up in clothes and blankets you can do.”
Another resident, Louise, says she has had to buy electric heaters for her house but still has to pay her standing charge, which like other prices, has risen. She has said:
“I just want to heat my house without having to worry how I would have to pay for it”.
Meanwhile, resident Tina said when she moved in 4 years ago she was told the biomass system was the ‘most economical choice’. Now it is ‘just ridiculous’, she said, as there is no protection for residents as Pan Energy is not regulated with Ofgem, meaning there is no price capping. She said she has asked for an explanation but has heard ‘absolutely nothing’. Ward representative, Councillor Geoff Brodie, said he has been pushing for answers and residents deserved to be looked after. He said:
“The whole development was going to be the greatest thing that ever happened — renewable energy, sustainable houses – and it was going to be cheap to run.”
Residents’ bills had been partially subsidised so far, Cllr Brodie said, but increases had started to be phased in and no one will know the full charges until Barratts hands over the biomass system when it is complete. Cllr Brodie is calling for a public meeting and wants residents to be able to opt out of the system without having to pay a standing charge and for the company to become properly regulated. A joint statement from the 4 companies involved said the charge increases “reflect the handover of the biomass centre” from Barratts to the estate management company, as well as the recent cost of energy increases and high inflation rates. The heating network is now almost complete, the statement said, and partners and the management company are working together to agree the maintenance strategy and service charge. The statement said they were also looking at the fuel supply arrangements to try to help reduce costs, with more information confirmed towards the end of May.
Isn’t this extortion? I thought the council were the mafia here on the island, but it seems not. Notice how pop up bob is not saying anything about this at all either. Barratts should be slammed down hard and stopped from building anything else like this countrywide.
“The whole development was going to be the greatest thing that ever happened — renewable energy, sustainable houses – and it was going to be cheap to run.”
…
And there you have it …the real cost of “green energy” begins to rear its ugly head
Everyone talks of being green and saving the planet, however, no one gives a rats arse about the planet, when it comes to their wallets.
I love old sayings, in this case
A sprat to catch a mackerel.
All this stuff we are being sold looks so great….until the bills come piling in.
I really can’t wait to see how an electric ferry is going to perform?
How many of us remember the…Well what was it going to be.?..biomass plant on the Forest Road? Didn’t they end up pulling most of it down again?
Instead of buying a thoroughbred.. we are being sold a pup.
Does this mean that most of them might have to go out and get a job instead of driving around in there dressing gowns and pretending to be on the sick we work so they don’t have to
So many driving around in there new cars on the sick but still work on the sly
£100 a month is reasonable. Don’t these fools think WE are not all paying double what we used to AND we have old inefficient homes and NOT. receiving hundreds a week in tax credits as the Mother of one is.
Also heating is only required for half the year and IF poor charity shops are full of warm clothing for pennies
Mine is £360.00 per month for a Three bed Bungalow and at 77 ,I still have to work to keep warm because we are not entitled to any help ,Should have had more kids and not worked would have been far better off
Nothing to whine about paying £25 a week for your heating and hot water. If as she and most up Pan have, you have children then you get hundreds a week in child and working tax credits or universal credit. You get reduced or free council tax too. Also extra help with heating and food. Also free dental care and prescriptions. Also free school meals uniforms transportation to school.
So start being grateful and stop moaning. We fund you and your choice of reproducing.
How do you know this person doesn’t work?!
Not every home on the estate is occupied by someone that isnt working.
The fact you hide behind a fake name explains it all. Just wanting a bite back I suppose.
It puzzles me how people get sucked into these hair brained renewable energy schemes
They are experimenting and useing the public fot the experiments that never work.
The bells should have been ringing very loudly when they say you can’t opt out of the scheme. They will always screw you one way or the other.
“The whole development was going to be the greatest thing that ever happened — renewable energy, sustainable houses – and it was going to be cheap to run.”
Sounds like a line from the how to push net zero book.
Regrettably this is the reality of the ‘Emperors Clothes’ situation with the vast majority of these ‘green/sustainable’ heating and power systems.
Yes, in a literal sense wood-chip biomass is a sustainably sourced system, but only from the fact that they conveniently ignore the fact that it rakes a LONG TIME for replacement trees to grow to maturity.
Like Solar and Wind, they conveniently ignore (or choose to obfuscate) the environmental costs of mining minerals and the raw materials needed in their ‘Planet Saving’ Agenda.
And the child and virtually slave labour mining metals for solar panels and batteries.
This is typical of life in the UK right now. Basically, this scheme is a legal scam. It would be very interesting to know the salaries of the people at the top of this shambles. Outrageous.
‘Green’ enery is an expensive scam.The poorest pay a high price.