Residents at Turville Court in Great Bookham, Surrey, believe they could be owed as much as £400 each after being charged for electricity and gas during a two-year period when the building’s heating system was broken.
Michael Heelas, a resident, was quoted by the BBC saying the heating system had been “at the end of its life” and that Clarion Housing Group, which manages the site, repeatedly ignored warnings. He claimed tenants were overcharged from late 2022 until September 2024, despite assurances from Clarion, and also continued paying costs linked to the faulty system.
Heelas contacted Clarion in 2022 seeking clarity on how energy costs would be affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said Clarion assured him that heating costs would remain largely unchanged due to a three-year fixed-price contract lasting until April 2024.
However, Heelas said bills for 2022/23 rose significantly, by 30–40%, and requests for a detailed charges bill were ignored for 18 months, only being addressed after “a threat of legal action.”
Clarion maintained that no overpayments occurred, in a statement shared on the BBC: “During the energy crisis, our fixed-price contract protected residents from the peak of 2022–23 prices, but when this was renegotiated in 2024, costs unfortunately increased in line with the wider market. Residents pay fixed service charges set annually under their tenancy agreements, which is not adjusted against actual energy costs, so there have been no overpayments.”
Residents also claimed they continued paying for heating while the system was broken, and for electric heaters installed to mitigate the problem. Clarion confirmed that compensation had been paid for the disruption caused by the upgrade.
Dorking and Horley MP Chris Coghlan said Turville Court residents were not alone in experiencing issues with Clarion. He warned that long-standing disputes over maintenance and housing conditions can seriously affect health and quality of life, adding that Clarion often addresses symptoms rather than root causes.
The heating system at Turville Court was finally replaced in September 2024, ending the period of disruption.
