Service Charges
View and Pay your service charge
Camden Account guide for leaseholders (PDF)
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View and Pay your service charge
Camden Account guide for leaseholders (PDF)
Don’t forget to include the invoice reference number when you pay your service charges. This will help to ensure your payments are credited correctly to your service charge account and reduce the likelihood of arrears action and associated costs.
Your lease says you must pay your service charges quarterly in advance on the 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December each year. You can also pay by monthly instalment. For 2023/24 we’re extending monthly payment plans from 10 months to 12 with payments due from March 2023 to February 2024. Please contact your leasehold officer to set up a payment plan. You can email us at [email protected] or call us on 020 7974 3559.
If you are struggling with money as a result of rising living costs, there are lots of organisations that can help. You can also contact the Council and we can help you to find the support and advice you may need.
Contact us as soon as possible if you are worried you may not be able to pay your service charge or major works invoices. Contact us on 020 7974 3559 or at [email protected]
For information on how to save energy and keep warm go to: Save energy and keep warm - Camden Council
If you are worried about the cost of your gas and electricity, speak to our Green Camden Helpline. They offer free advice on fuel debt, tariffs, grants discounts and much more. Call 0800 801 738 Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. Find more financial support on our Cost of living support page or Cost of living crisis fund page
Citizens Advice Camden offers general support and advice. They can also help to connect you with a specialist service. Contact number: 0808 278 7835 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm)
Age UK Camden offers support for residents over 55. Contact number: 020 7837 3777
The Living Centre offers support and advice on employment, benefits, debt and housing. Contact number: 020 7380 0453
Mary Ward Legal Centre provides specialist legal support on housing, benefits and debt. Contact number: 020 7831 7079
Camden Community Law Centre offers specialist legal support. Contact number: 020 7284 6510
Camden People First offers general advice and help for adults and families living with learning difficulties. Contact number: 020 7388 2007
Camden Disability Action offers support for adults and children living with a disability. Contact number: 0203 833 1125
Camden is aware that some leaseholders may have difficulty in paying their heating/hot water charges for the forthcoming year. Please contact us if you are experiencing difficulties paying your service charge at [email protected] We will carry out an income/expenditure review to establish what assistance we can provide with payment of your heating/hot water charge.
Camden, along with a number of public sector organisations, purchases gas and electricity through the LASER public sector buying organisation. We are able to purchase energy for Camden’s Housing, Schools and Corporate estates at cheaper wholesale rates by combining with other organisations.
Although the cost of gas and electricity has increased considerably, Camden is still paying considerably less than general wholesale prices.
The estimated service charges for 2022/23 were calculated in November 2021, when we received prices for the 2021/22 year (October 2021 to September 2022) from LASER.
The estimated consumption per site for 2022/23 was calculated by using an average consumption over the previous 2-3 years.
To calculate the prices to be used for the 2022/23 estimates we used the actual prices sent to us by LASER in October 2021 for the period April to September 2022. At the same time, LASER provided a forecast increase of 24% for the period from October 2022 to September 2023. We used this forecast to calculate the estimated prices from October 2022 to March 2023.
The estimated service charges for 2023/24 were calculated in December 2022, when we received the costs for the 2022/23 year (October 2022 to September 2023) from LASER.
The estimated consumption per site for 2023/24 was calculated in the same way as previous years, by using an average consumption over the previous 2-3 years.
Whilst LASER provided prices for the year October 2022 to September 2023, unlike previous years they did not provide a forecast for the period October 2023 to September 2024.
To calculate the estimated service charge for the 2023/24, we recalculated the expected outturn for the 2022/23 financial year based on two sets of prices sent to us by LASER. For the period from April 2022 to September 2022 we used the 2021/22 prices (October 2021 to September 2022) they sent us in November 2021. For the period from October 2022 to March 2023 we used the 2022/23 prices (October 2022 to September 2023) which LASER sent to us in December 2022. We then added 50% to the expected 2022/23 out turn as a means of forecasting the prices for 2023/24.
You can monitor and control how much energy you use with a heat meter through the Camden Account, which can help you save money. More than two thirds of Camden Council tenants and leaseholders now using heat meters have seen their energy costs reduced. You can find information about heat metering on our heat metering page and in our booklet Find out more in our Heat Meter Booklet
Charges are based on the actual usage of the individual residents from the time period 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022, which is measured in Kilowatt Hours (KwH). For any property where the consumption for the mentioned dates were not available, the average bedroom/block consumption is used.
The price per KwH used was an average of the 2021/2022 actuals.
The metered charge includes a standing charge, which relates to the maintenance of the individual meters within the properties connected to the supply. These maintenance costs are apportioned equally amongst all properties across the sites. The standing charge is there to cover metering and other costs that are not dependent on individual use.
VAT at 5% is applicable on all charges for individually metered supplies.
Charges are based on the actual usage of the individual residents from the time period 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022, which is measured in Kilowatt Hours (KwH). For any property where the consumption for the mentioned dates were not available, the average bedroom/block consumption is used.
The price per KwH is calculated by dividing the total cost of the fuel supply by the total kWh usage across the site. The total cost includes the following:
The metered charge includes a standing charge, which relates to the maintenance of the individual meters within the properties connected to the supply. These maintenance costs are apportioned equally amongst all properties across the sites. The standing charge is there to cover metering and other costs that are not dependent on individual use.
VAT at 5% is applicable on all charges for individually metered supplies.
If, when we calculate the actual expenditure for 2023/24, your estimated charge was too high, we will post a credit to your service charge account. If your estimated service charge was too low you will be sent a demand asking you to pay the additional amount.
We have calculated your actual service charges for the year ending March 2023. Your invoice and summary of charges have been sent in the post. If the estimate was too low, you will receive a demand for payment. If the estimate was too high, you will receive a credit note.
Details of your actual charges can be found in the summary we sent along with your invoice, and a full breakdown is available through your Camden Account. If you have any questions about your service charge adjustment please contact a member of our team via [email protected] or by calling 020 7974 3559.
Don’t forget to include the invoice reference number when you pay your service charges. This will help to ensure your payments are credited correctly to your service charge account and reduce the likelihood of arrears action and associated costs.
Your lease says you must pay the actual adjustment within 28 days of the invoice. Please contact your leasehold officer if you’d like to set up a payment plan. You can email us at [email protected] or call us on 020 7974 3559.
If you are struggling with money as a result of rising living costs, there are lots of organisations that can help. You can also contact the Council and we can help you to find the support and advice you may need.
Contact us as soon as possible if you are worried you may not be able to pay your service charge or major works invoices. Contact us on 020 7974 3559 or at [email protected]
For information on how to save energy and keep warm go to: Save energy and keep warm - Camden Council
If you are worried about the cost of your gas and electricity, speak to our Green Camden Helpline. They offer free advice on fuel debt, tariffs, grants discounts and much more. Call 0800 801 738 Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. Find more financial support at Cost of living support - Camden Council or Cost of living crisis fund - Camden Council
Citizens Advice Camden offers general support and advice. They can also help to connect you with a specialist service. Contact number: 0808 278 7835 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4m)
Age UK Camden offers support for residents over 55. Contact number: 020 7837 3777
The Living Centre offers support and advice on employment, benefits, debt and housing. Contact number: 020 7380 0453
Mary Ward Legal Centre provides specialist legal support on housing, benefits and debt. Contact number: 020 7831 7079
Camden Community Law Centre offers specialist legal support. Contact number: 020 7284 6510
Camden People First offers general advice and help for adults and families living with learning difficulties. Contact number: 020 7388 2007
Camden Disability Action offers support for adults and children living with a disability. Contact number: 0203 833 1125
The actual fuel charges have been calculated using the bills received from LASER for the period April 2022 to March 2023. Camden purchases gas and electricity through the LASER public sector buying organisation. We are able to purchase energy at cheaper wholesale rates by combining with other organisations.
Although the cost of gas and electricity has increased considerably, Camden is still paying considerably less than general wholesale prices. The graph below shows that our energy procurement strategy has consistently performed well for Camden and its residents over a long period, it has remained competitive at an average 52% below domestic market rates since 2015.
From October 2022 to March 2023 the cost of wholesale gas per kWh paid by Camden was capped under the Government’s EBRS and the 2022/23 outturn included this discount, £1.3 million. These reductions were reflected in the bills we received from LASER and have been incorporated into the actual charges to leaseholders and freeholders. So the gas fuel cost recharged in the 2022/23 actual includes the capping applied under the EBRS.
The cost of wholesale electricity per kWh was not capped because it fell below the Government’s EBRS threshold.
You should recently have received a heat statement which provided details of the energy you used between April 2022 and March 2023. Your actual heating charge for 2022/23 is based on the energy you used.
Your charge for gas was calculated by dividing the total cost by the total kWh used over the whole system and multiplying by the kWh used in your property. Details of the kWh you used were included in the heat statement recently sent to you.
Insurance Policy (PDF)
Summary of Cover (PDF)
During normal office hours phone your insurer NIG on 0800 051 0233.
Outside normal office hours phone the loss adjuster Woodgate and Clark on 01732 520270.
If you live in a building where the freehold is not owned by Camden you may have a different buildings insurer, please contact leaseholders services for more information.
If anything happens in your home which might lead to a claim, you need to report the incident to the buildings insurer as soon as possible, but no more than 90 days after the date you should have known about the insured incident.
In an emergency take immediate action to protect your property from further damage by switching off the gas, electricity and water.
If the leasehold property is left unoccupied for more than 35 consecutive days there is no cover if loss or damage occurs by escape of water or oil, malicious damage, theft or attempted theft, accidental damage or accidental breakage of glass.
Please note the above points relate only to Camden’s insurance policy where the council is the freeholder.
A breakdown of this cost is below with a comparison for 2021/22
Leaseholder services
Rechargeable cost: £1,650,185
Cost per leaseholder 22/23: £168.11
Cost per leaseholder 21/22: £149.77
Housing management
Rechargeable cost: £7,626,065
Cost per leaseholder 22/23: £33.09
Cost per leaseholder 21/22: £35.13
Repairs
Rechargeable cost: £341,368
Cost per leaseholder 22/23: £2.69
Cost per leaseholder 21/22: £2.67
Total costs
Rechargeable cost: £9,617,618
Cost per leaseholder 22/23: £203.89
Cost per leaseholder 21/22: £187.57
The breakdowns from each service can be found below:
There are a number of ways you can pay your service charges.
Standing Order:
Pay Online:
Telephone Payment:
Payment by Post:
In Person:
Bank Giro Credit:
All households with a domestic electricity connection are automatically eligible for the £400 grant under theEnergy Bills Support Scheme, therefore all Camden residents will get this through their own electricity supplier. Households will not need to apply for the scheme, and in most cases the government expects electricity suppliers to apply the reduction automatically to bills from October 2022 - March 2023.
In addition to the domestic Energy Bills Support Scheme, Camden’s energy supply contracts are eligible for theEnergy Bills Relief Scheme (EBRS), as business/non-domestic customers. From October 2022 - March 2023, the government will provide a discount on gas and electricity unit rates, if prices for the wholesale energy component exceed the unit rate (pence/kWh) price caps for this period, which have been set at 21.1p and 7.5p for electricity and gas respectively.
Regarding EBRS price caps, it is important to note that delivered p/kWh unit rates for energy are made up of the cost of the energy itself (wholesale costs), plus the pass through of third-party costs, such as regulated network charges (the cost of transporting energy) and green levies. The capped element of the Government’s Energy Business Relief Scheme (EBRS) applies only to the energy component of delivered prices and not the third-party costs (the cap also doesn’t apply to any standing charge elements of the bill).
Camden’s energy price component for gas is above the government cap for some months during the EBRS period (Oct22 - Mar23), and Camden have received the EBRS discount. The discount is automatically applied to Camden’s gas bills. This will provide some benefit to Camden residents on a Camden Heat Network/communal heating and hot water system, who are recharged by the Council. Camden’s energy price component for electricity is below the government cap, so we are not eligible for EBRS discount.
The Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will replace the EBRS from April 2023, and will run for 12 months. As of 23 January 2023, LASER (Camden’s public sector buying organisation for gas and energy supplies) suggest that based on the current market conditions and purchased volumes for April 2023 – March 2024, Camden’s energy contracts will not be eligible for EBDS support, as the wholesale commodity cost is forecast to be below the set thresholds and are unlikely to qualify for any support.
We will update our website if and when these details change.
Since 2011, Camden has procured gas and electricity through a framework operated by LASER, a public-sector organisation which purchases gas and electricity on the wholesale market for local authorities and other public bodies. Camden requires gas for its communal heating systems, and electricity for block and/or estate lighting, or other equipment (for example, lifts and door entry systems). Wholesale prices are lower than retail prices. Also, the purchasing scheme allows the purchase of energy before the supply period, meaning energy can be purchased when prices are most favourable.
Camden is entering into a new contract with the framework in 2023. Further information about the consultation process can be found on the consultation page. Dispensation was awarded by the First Tier Tribunal in February 2023 and the decision can be found boroughwide consultation page.