A TENANTS’ group has launched a petition calling on energy giants SSE to axe an 'unfair' standing charge associated with a district heating scheme in one of Glasgow’s most deprived areas.

Wyndford Tenants Union (WTU) say the daily 44p charge attached to the communal scheme, which will rise to 48p next month, is plunging residents into fuel debt with some opting to go without heating and hot water.

The group is also calling for a re-think on a decision to introduce quarterly billing, replacing pay-as-you-go meters, saying many tenants, particularly those on benefits, struggle to budget for the cost.

The Evening Times reported last month how the energy supplier had been demanding a £274 reconnection fee and 50% of any outstanding debt from tenants, who had their communal heating and hot water supply cut off.

After talks between local MSP Bob Doris, the Citizens Advice and the landlord Cube Housing, SSE agreed to a plan to connect some homes free of charge.

Read more: Tenants hit with £274 reconnection fees after being cut off from heating supply 

The tenants union believe the scheme has generated £264,990 in standing charge revenue for the energy supplier.

SSE said the rise in standing charges was due to a “sustained increase in inflation” but said it was working with Cube to arrange a meeting with residents to address concerns.

Nick Durie, of WTU said: “The district heating is fundamentally a power station which generates electricity for sale to the national grid and the hot water it uses to drive its turbines is an industrial by-product of this process.

“This hot water provides heating for us and hot water in the taps, and we already pay for electricity meters.

Read more: New district heating scheme to be installed in Glasgow 

“As SSE has already made money on the sale of electricity and makes money for the sale of hot water as a by product in our area the rather high standing charges of 44p a day, going up in May to 48p a day, is putting the most vulnerable in our community into large amounts of debt.

“A good comparison would be district heating schemes in other Nordic countries which are typically unmetered at all.

“We believe from our investigations into published finances and support from a heating engineer familiar with the economics that SSE is making £264,990 a year from standing charges in the Wyndford.”

A spokeswoman for SSE Enterprise said: “We temporarily removed old key meters and gave customers a £20 goodwill payment as part of the move to install new, upgraded meters from the summer onwards, which will help customers manage their bills and address these concerns.

“We are working with Cube Housing Association to arrange a meeting with residents where we can answer any questions before we start installation of the new key meters in the coming months.

“ We try to keep bills low for as long as we can, raising the standing charge is not something we do lightly, but unfortunately we’ve seen a sustained increase in inflation and, like other businesses, we’ve had to pass this through to customers.”

A Cube spokesman said: “We are always here to speak to any customers who are struggling or who have any concerns about their bills – we will do all we can to help.”