Heat is on

Thursday, 18 February 2010

National Grid faces public grilling, but compensation fight rumbles on after gas failures ruined Christmas

By Kim Inam

HUNDREDS of residents left without heating at Christmas are set to stage a legal battle for proper compensation after a tense meeting with utility companies ended in a stalemate.

Scores filled the New Barnet Community Centre in Victoria Road to demand fairer compensation last Wednesday, after being offered £30 a day and £100 for both Christmas and Boxing Day.

The highly charged two-hour meeting was called by Brookhill Road resident Bernard Walsh and chaired by Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers.

Representatives from National Grid and Veolia Water, formerly Three Valleys, locked horns with neighbours and businesses from some of the 3,500 properties affected.

Residents complained about a lack of communication after gas pipes were flooded by a burst water main on December 20.

National Grid then sent letters addressed to the wrong people and in some cases paltry compensation cheques for the wrong amount.

Some reported ongoing pressure problems and broken promises to pay electricity costs after the emergency fan heaters provided drove up fuel bills.

Harry Buchanan, head of emergency services for National Grid, told the meeting: “I’m sorry your Christmas was spoiled. I was hoping to meet your expectations in terms of compensations but I have obviously not. There’s no obligation to provide heaters – only to vulnerable customers – but we tried to provide everyone with a heater and hot plates. Communication wasn’t great – we need to learn from that.”

Mr Walsh said: “We’re still counting the cost of Christmas. Problems were exacerbated by the lack of communication.

“I thought there were 12 days of Christmas – who decided that Christmas starts on December 25 and ends on Boxing Day? I got a cheque for £200, my neighbour got £440 and another neighbour was told he would receive nothing. We were all out for eight days.”

Barnet Council has set up a scrutiny committee and those affected are invited to write in and attend a public meeting on March 4, at Hendon Town Hall, in The Burroughs at 7pm.

Mr Walsh added: “We’re in the process of setting up a formal committee to fight this. As far as I’m concerned, National Grid didn’t answer any questions.”

National Grid is holding a three-day compensation surgery starting today at East Barnet Baptist Church, in Crescent Road, from 8am to 8pm and from 8pm to noon on Saturday.

Email: kim.inam@nlhnews.co.uk

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