Council Tax Your rent does not include Council tax, which must be paid to your Local Authority. Water rates/electricity and gas These are not included in your rent. Normally you will be charged for these services by the utility company concerned but in certain recently completed buildings ISHA is responsible for paying water charges direct to Thames Water and will recharge customers. You are responsible for paying the water rates, electricity and gas in your property. There are no rebates or benefits available towards the cost of water charges. However, most water authorities accept payments by instalments. ISHA will also accept payments by instalments from customers billed directly. If you receive a fuel bill that you cannot afford to pay all at once, contact the fuel company straight away. You can usually arrange to pay the bill by instalments and can discuss the best option for you to pay for future consumption. If you are threatened with disconnection, you need to seek advice quickly from your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB: see numbers below). There is a code of practice regarding disconnection and they will advise you whether your circumstances are covered by this code. In any case, they may be able to help you negotiate with the fuel company and avoid disconnection. CAB Telephone Numbers ISLINGTON 0344 488 9626 CAMDEN 0344 488 9626 HACKNEY 020 8525 6350 WALTHAM FOREST 0300 330 1175 Return to Graphics Version