A RESIDENT of Gilmour Gardens sheltered housing complex in Alton has been shocked by a hike in his hot water and heating bill which, he says, has gone up by 90 per cent from April 1.

According to Hugh Donnachie – a tenant of Radian Housing which manages the Anstey Lane housing scheme – his monthly bill has gone from £51 for hot water and heating to £93 for a one-bedroom property.

Mr Donnachie who lives in one of 26 bungalows on the Gilmour Gardens complex, received a letter from Radian in early March saying that the cost of hot water and heating was to go up to £19.95 a week but with no explanation as to why.

While he understands the cost of fuel has risen, he cannot believe that the cost of supplying the 26 bungalows with hot water and heating could cost £29,000 a year (calculated over 12 months although, as he points out, the heating is only on for six months of the year).

He believes that at such a cost the shared boiler must be "very inefficient", and he adds that maintenance costs are supposed to be borne by Radian.

Mr Donnachie would like to see the fuel bills for which he, and the other tenants, are responsible.

For full story, see this week's Farnham Herald.