Key Points:
- Over 450 households in Hackney council estates—Cranston, Cropley, Thaxted—have suffered persistent heating and hot water failures.
- Shoreditch Heat Network (SHN), installed in 2019, has faced repeated outages, impacting residents since late 2024.
- Hackney Council has ordered six new heat exchangers and added two extra boilers by February 2025.
- A feasibility study is underway to assess long-term solutions, including a new heat network serving 1,300+ homes.
- Citizens Advice, led by Josef Steen of Hackney Citizen, is investigating billing disputes and inadequate heating service.
- Residents report being charged full utility bills despite limited or no service.
- Council is seeking a contractor to design, build, operate, and maintain a low-carbon heat network, with £2.94 million Green Heat Network Fund.
- Hackney is exploring a municipal energy company, Hackney Light & Power, for future network management.
Hackney council tenants have endured months of unreliable heating and hot water as Citizens Advice begins an investigation into the Shoreditch Heat Network’s performance failures, as reported by Josef Steen, Local Democracy Reporter for Hackney Citizen.
What are residents experiencing with heating?
Since the installation of the Shoreditch Heat Network in 2019, households across Cranston Estate, Cropley Court, and Thaxted Court have faced ongoing heating and hot water outages, affecting more than 450 homes. Tenants recently confirmed that between October and November 2024, multiple boiler failures occurred—one due to a burst heat exchanger and another from a safety shut-down. According to Hackney Citizen, numerous residents were left with cold or lukewarm water, some resorting to boiling water for basic needs.
What has the council done about the issue?
As outlined in Hackney Citizen, the council has:
- Ordered six new heat exchangers and deployed two additional boilers by February 2025.
- Commissioned a feasibility study, due by February 2025, on upgrading the heating infrastructure—ongoing and under review.
- Launched a tender process for a contractor to build and manage a new heat network servicing over 1,300 homes and public buildings.
Council housing services director, Steve Waddington, acknowledged in March:
“Our assessment was wrong … by the end of April, there will be eight boilers supporting the network.”
He also apologised for misleading confidence that the system would cope with winter demand—only to default on that promise.
Why is Citizens Advice stepping in?
Josef Steen of Hackney Citizen reports that Citizens Advice is probing the fairness of utility billing, as many tenants continue to face full heat meter charges despite inadequate service. The organisation aims to gather resident feedback and incorporate this into its new Heat Networks Advice service. Affected residents are encouraged to register by 30 June.
How will the new heat network work?
According to the report:
- The council has applied for £2.94 million from the Green Heat Network Fund to support a low-carbon heat system using air-source heat pumps.
- A single contract is being pursued to standardise maintenance across multiple Hackney heat networks, including those at Colville Estate.
- Plans to introduce a municipal energy company, Hackney Light & Power, could centralise network management and oversight.
What are residents saying?
Long-standing resident Michelle Drummond described the situation as “beyond a joke”, recounting winters without heat despite years of heating complaints. Another tenant revealed booking formal complaints in December 2024, only to receive delayed follow-up months later. Communication breakdowns and patchy repairs have compounded stress for many in the affected estates.
What happens next?
- Citizens Advice continues to collect data and resident testimonies regarding billing and service shortcomings.
- The feasibility study for heat network upgrades will be published after internal review—residents await transparency on next steps.
- A contractor tender is underway to drive the next generation heat network plan.
- Hackney Council and Citizens Advice invite tenants on affected estates to participate in research before 30 June.
