A GOOD TURN OUT...AND A GOOD TURN ON?

HOW MANY RIVERSIDE 

TENANTS ARE SHIVERING

 AND FOR HOW MUCH LONGER?

 How many housing association tenants in Longtown, near Carlisle, are being forced to shiver at home because they dare not turn on their central heating?

The exact number is disputed but  something like correct figure may be known  in couple of days after  the  shivering tenants  get together  to find a way of getting  the heating turned on again without the  astronomical bills they cannot afford to pay.

The shivering started a couple of years ago when the landlord, Riverside Housing Association fitted solar panels to 175 of its Longtown properties and the scheme went  wrong causing  energy bills to rocket. One elderly tenant is facing a bill of £3,500.

The get together is planned at meeting  in the town`s community centre  on Thursday (March 20) at 7 pm. It has been called by  a community group which is backing the distressed tenants--Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation.

A Federation spokesman said: “The tenants have shivered for two years- this is far too long  to get this problem solved.

“Riverside  is now claiming that only half a dozen tenants are affected and have offered to compensate them for the extra energy used.

“But the number is far more than six, say the tenants.We hope that the turnout at the meeting will prove the tenants are right in what they say  and there may  in fact be as many as fifty or more tenants affected

“And  when all that is settled, Riverside have still to say how they will tackle the problems caused by the boilers Riverside installed to work alongside the solar panels. 

“These boilers are causing the big bills. Until the boiler problem is solved , the  big bills will go on and on and the shivering will go on and on".