Overview
- Sam and Evangeline Thorn bought the Redhill flat in 2018 with a £2,800 annual charge that has risen to £7,500, an increase reported at roughly 167%.
- Estate agents told the couple that interested buyers walked away after learning the fee, even after the asking price was cut to £220,000 from a prior £300,000 valuation.
- The Park25 development uses a communal gas and biomass heat network managed by FirstPort, which says about 51% of the service charge reflects energy.
- FirstPort says ageing components and fuel costs have driven the rise and points to an initial Heat Network Efficiency Scheme grant, a further funding application, and exploration of options such as recycling waste heat from a nearby data centre.
- The couple say they were notified of a large general maintenance overspend that may be recharged to residents, a claim not detailed in the company’s statements.