A Freedom of Information request has revealed that Sutton Lib Dems failed to take part in a consultation run by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to regulate district energy networks, like Sutton Decentralised Energy Network (SDEN).
The consultation called for views on how this relatively new and largely unregulated market could be governed. For example, this could result in looking at what protections that residents living in homes heated by heat networks like SDEN, such as residents living in New Mill Quarter (NMQ) in Hackbridge, could be given against power outages.
I submitted a letter on behalf of Carshalton and Wallington residents, especially those living in NMQ, raising concerns about cost, the lack of market choice and the efficacy of the network. A copy of my letter is attached below.
However, this FOI shows that neither the Lib Dems, nor the Council, the lead Councillor for Housing, Economy and Business, SDEN or Viridor contributed to this consultation about the future regulation of heat networks like the one that they are responsible for running, and has caused significant problems for residents living in NMQ.
To be fair to them, it's not always possible to respond within the given time frame to a consultation for whatever reason, indeed I myself was only able to write to the Secretary of State a few days afterwards, so the FOI also asked for any correspondence from the Lib Dems, the Council, the lead Councillor, SDEN or Viridor about the Beddington incinerator and/or NMQ. No such correspondence was received.
Residents have been told time and again by the Lib Dem-run Council that they 'understand' and 'want to resolve' the problems at NMQ, which has led to some homes experiencing over a dozen hot water and heating outages in just 6 months, as well as two incidents requiring the London Fire Brigade to make safe the site. You would have thought, therefore, that they would take a keen interest in this consultation or been in touch with the Department about the issues.
Indeed I myself during the course of a private meeting with SDEN was told that they were fully aware that this consultation was running, they wanted to engage with it and would be happy to implement any necessary changes that come about as a result of it.
This is proof that they could not be less interested. They either could not be bothered to take part in the consultation, did not want to draw attention to the poor experience of local residents, or both.
I have been consistently calling for greater protections for consumers whose homes are supposed to be supplied by heat networks like SDEN. As well as the below letter, I have had meetings with Ministers and raised these issues in the House of Commons.
Where the Lib Dems fail to act, I will continue to stand up for residents, especially those in NMQ, by making their experiences known to Government, fighting for their protections and continuing to call for stronger regulations on heat networks like SDEN.
