Camden to Retake Control of Boiler Repairs for a Faster, ‘Resident-Focussed’ Service
Camden Council is set to bring its domestic boiler repairs in-house, introducing an improved service for tenants that provides faster and more responsive repairs, upgraded heating systems, better value for money, and supports the borough’s transition to green energy.
It is expected to save Camden's rent payers over £14 million – money that will be reinvested in maintaining safe and warm homes - while providing a more personal and agile repair service for tenants.
Key improvements to the service will include:
- More first-time fixes as older boilers phased out
- Faster emergency and out-of-hours responses
- Fewer missed appointments thanks to improved management systems and increased accountability
- A more robust service during peak winter months.
Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali, Cabinet Member for Better Homes, said: “Bringing this service back in house is a bold step to providing the high-quality, resident focussed service that our tenants rightly deserve.”
The new Council-run service will replace 2,000 outdated and faulty boilers with new, energy-efficient models in the first three years.
The upgrades will reduce repeat callouts, thanks to the Council holding warranties on its newly installed boilers, which will also help to reduce carbon emissions.
It is estimated that the Council’s in-house service will save £10.3M over 15 years while the replacement of 2,000 outdated boilers will save an additional £4.05 in callouts and repairs.
We have listened to our tenants and are taking this opportunity to bring in a service that delivers on their priorities when it comes to heating their homes.
This means fixing issues faster and wherever we can in one visit, providing our tenants with a modern and reliable heating service, and cutting carbon emissions as we plan for all our homes to transition to sustainable energy sources.
What’s more is that this move will save millions of pounds that we can reinvest in keeping our residents’ homes safe and warm. It means we can create new jobs and training opportunities for our residents, while also upskilling our workforce so that they are ready to help deliver our ambition to transition all our homes to sustainable energy technologies in the years ahead.
This is a tenant-first approach to tackling the issues that matter the most to them.
Creating Opportunities for Residents
As part of the transition to an in-house service, Camden will create 40 new jobs and work closely with the Euston Skills Centre, local schools and colleges to provide apprenticeships and training opportunities.
This will help equip local residents with the skills that will be needed to support Camden’s move towards green energy sources.
Reducing Carbon Emissions
The new service will play a crucial role in reducing the borough’s carbon emissions by overseeing the phasing out of gas-powered boilers and transition to more sustainable energy sources for residents’ homes.
It will build on the Council’s ongoing work to install heat pumps in new homes and, where possible, in existing properties that are being retrofitted.
Additionally, the service will use a fully electric vehicle fleet, further reducing carbon emissions and helping to improve local air quality.
The Council’s Cabinet will vote on the proposed in-house service at its meeting on Wednesday, 26 February. If approved, the new service will officially launch in April 2026.