A man from Mid Craigie says he is struggling to make ends meet after a sudden increase in rent and electricity charges.
Frank Stevenson, 58, has had his rent increased by £53 in recent weeks by landlord Bield Housing Association, as well as suffering a 50% increase in his electricity bill.
He has blamed the increase in his energy bill on the storage heaters that are used by Bield in its homes on Pitairlie Road.
Frank, who is on Jobseeker’s Allowance, has said his financial situation is now so bad his daughter regularly has to buy him meals as he can only afford basic essentials after paying his SSE energy bill.
The meter at the property has two separate readings, which he says proves the heating is to blame for the huge increase in energy usage.
Frank said: “I can’t afford to heat my house due to the heaters Bield uses.
“I only use one of the storage heaters on the lowest setting in an attempt to keep warm in winter.”
Frank said he, along with other residents of Pitairlie Road, have asked the housing association to install central heating in the properties several times but were told it wasn’t possible due to cost.
Neighbour, Pam Turner, has written a letter to Bield signed by other tenants in the area regarding the issue.
Bield claims it increased rents after consultation with tenants.
Interim director of housing Charlie Dickson said: “The decision to increase rental charges is one that’s been taken after extensive research and focus groups with tenants.
“With changes of this nature, some tenants will benefit and some, regrettably, will see increases to their rent. To limit any increases, the changes will be phased over a three-year period.
“Currently we don’t have plans to change the heating system at Pitairlie Road. However, tenants can contact the Dundee Energy Advice Project for advice to secure the best possible energy costs.”
An SSE spokesman said: “We are in contact with Mr Stevenson and are working to investigate the potential cause of the reported increase in his energy usage.
“We don’t want any of our customers worrying about their energy bills and our customer service teams are here to help in any way they can.”
