Bermondsey council tenants have complained after being locked out of their electricity meters, leaving them feeling powerless in the face of rising energy bills.
May Matthias, 88, is housebound because of dizziness and agoraphobia, and has had a couple of falls recently. Her last electricity bill, covering the past three months, came to £429, up nearly 60 per cent on the previous three-month period. With the price cap set to rise from April, and again in October, she is worried that she may not be able to afford higher bills. “I’m worried about prices getting dearer,” she said.
Ms Matthias lives in West Lane. When she asked to get a key for her electricity meter, at the bottom of her four-storey block, she was told she had to go get a key from the council’s service point at Peckham Library – two miles away.
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“I’m not in a position where I can go places and sort this problem out myself,” said Ms Matthias, who has lived in the same flat since 1942. She has not had a meter reading for four years and is worried that her bills are being overestimated. “The council make it very awkward for a lot of people,” she added.
Jennifer Ross, who lives not far away on Cherry Garden street, has had a similar problem with her electricity meter in a locked cupboard outside. The most recent electricity bill for the flat she shares with her son was double what she paid for the period before that – and she has no feasible way of checking her actual usage.
“It’s just depressing when you see the bill,” she said. “It’s not like we’re using too much, we’re not on the computers or the internet.”
Seamus Farrell, a longtime local resident who is trying to help both Ms Matthias and Ms Ross, said he wanted the council to make it easier for residents to take meter readings, like by giving people access to the cupboards. “Nothing would be simpler,” he said.
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It is unclear exactly how widespread this problem is among Southwark council tenants, but a spokesperson for the council said most of its residents have their electricity meters in their home. When an electricity meter is in a locked cupboard outside, it is because it is in with other electrical services. The spokesperson added that electricity suppliers should be able to get in to take meter readings on request, although this has not been the case with Ms Matthias and Ms Ross.
The spokesperson added: “We recognise the inconvenience caused for the small number of residents whose electricity meter is not inside their home. We have issued a large number of electricity suppliers and meter operators with keys to access our secure areas, alongside our Communal Key Request team who help provide access on a daily basis as necessary. We can also help facilitate moving electricity meters to inside the property where residents have arranged this with their supplier.
“Given the rise in energy prices, we understand our residents’ concerns about accurate meter readings. Smart meters have a number of benefits, including sending your usage directly to your supplier so you only pay for what you use.
“We will be in contact with our residents from Bermondsey to arrange a reading of the electrical meters mentioned here, and discuss the options available to them.”