NEIGHBOURS in a poverty-stricken estate have been left without a gas supply for two weeks – and have now been ordered to go electric for triple the price. 

More than 270 households in Strawberry Vale, East Finchley, have not been able to cook on their hobs after a fault with the meter meant the mains supply had to be switched off.

Housing association Peabody now say they want to scrap gas altogether and has offered to give everyone £500 to buy a new hob.

But this is little consolation to the residents say running electric cookers is a far more expensive alternative.

Dave Green, who cares for his wife, Janet, 68, who has dementia, currently pays £160 every quarter for gas but estimates an electric system could increase it to £400.

The 70-year-old, who has lived in his home for 32 years, said: “I will go to court – even if I have to go to the European court – I’ll tell the judge I can’t afford it.

“It is ridiculous and I refuse to move over to electric. We are currently using electric tops to cook on but even they are expensive to run. Where do they think we’ll get the money from?

“They are supposed to be a charity but we are being ripped off and they don’t seem to care. I feel like they are hiding something from us.”

The estates 270 residents staged a meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the issue and all agree they do not want electric cookers.

Shona Perkins, who lives on the estate, said: “It’s a disgrace – they are seeking to install a more expensive source of power to one of the most deprived and poverty stricken estates in the country.

“It’s quite short sighted to say they will give everyone £500 because we need to think about how we’re going to pay to run the cooker.

“It’s not a sensible, or a rational decision. It’s a corporate decision made without any consultation to the residents. It’s astounding – I am appalled.”

Dr Magdy Mohamed, who has two young children, says his family are “suffering” as he is also without heating and hot water.

He said: “They could install electric hobs – but what where does that leave my heating and my hot water? They are trying to give us money to absorb the anger but it won’t work.

“It’s not a nice situation for my children. We are freezing. We have had no communication. What are we meant to do?”

Dan Bordch, who lives with his wife, says the pair regularly cook soups over winter but they have been unable to.

He is concerned about the amount of time it will take for electric cookers to be installed across all the houses on the estate.

He said: “I am very angry. There is a lack of trust with Peabody because they aren’t telling us why this has happened. I don’t think they’ve though this through.

“It will suit them to put electric hobs in but what about us?”

Peabody said in a statement: "We apologise for the continuing disruption at Strawberry Vale. We have offered to provide and install a choice of cookers/hobs to all affected residents for free.

"Alternatively, if residents would prefer to obtain their own electric cooker we will provide £500 to enable them to do so. In the interim we continue to provide temporary cookers and hot plates.

"Our staff continue to work with the community and volunteers to support residents.

"The priority now is to provide a safe long-term solution to prevent residents experiencing further inconvenience and disruption in the future. There was an additional issue this weekend affecting the communal boilers providing heating and hot water which was quickly resolved by our contractor."