Islington to tackle rising energy costs

Islington Council has revealed it is investing in new measures to help Islington residents cope with rising energy bills; something that will form a key part of its budget for 2014-15.

At a council meeting, it was voted to hold council tax to the rate set in 2010, to prevent residents from having to pay more for local services. It will mean that council tax will be frozen in Islington for the fifth consecutive year, saving the average council tax payer a total of £375 over that period.

The budget agreed is focused squarely on helping those Islington residents who need it most, explained Council Leader Richard Watts, who said the rising cost of living and cuts in income are making life harder for many local people.

However, he pledged to offer support to find a job, and to build "genuinely affordable homes" for local people at social rent levels.

"As energy bills continue to rise, we will be helping to warm homes and cut energy bills for many of our residents by investing £2.5million in fuel-saving initiatives," he stated.

A number of measures have been outlined to to keep Islington residents' fuel bills down, which will include insulating more homes in a bid to help residents save up to £245 a year on their heating bills.

Other efforts will include replacing boilers, with the council paying for 700 new, more efficient boilers for Islington residents.

Furthermore, it will reduce energy costs for at least 500 more homes by extending the pioneering Bunhill Heat & Power network, and capturing waste heat from London Underground tunnels.

It is hoped that a combination of these efforts and sustained support from the government will help to ensure that local residents are not impacted by some of the Nationwide council tax rises that some local authorities are implementing, while also safeguarding them from being detrimentally affected by rising energy costs.

Published 28th February, 2014

© 2014 Estates IT Limited