You Are Going to Pay (less than) £250 for Five Free TV Channels
You’ve probably received a letter from Stevenage Homes telling you that Virgin Media will soon be switching off the analogue TV reception in Stevenage.
I was sent two.
To ensure that everyone can still get TV, Stevenage Homes are arranging to install an integrated reception system (IRS) in the blocks.
I think this is a Sky TV service. If you do not take any of the extra services then all you will be getting is five free channels. Not even freeview.
On the accompanying fact sheet is the sting. It says:
If you are a leaseholder you will benefit from the IRS system fitted to your block
As a leaseholder you must contribute towards the cost of improvements to your building. The costs will not exceed £250.
£250 for five free channels. Something you could probably get with set top aerial.
The £250 figure is a dodgy one. If Stevenage Homes exceed this figure then, by law, they have to consult leaseholders about any work they want to carry out. But, as long as they stay under it, they can spring surprises on us, and give us little chance to complain.
I contacted Sky TV.
Sky will install a communal dish on your block of flats for free, as long as your block does not exceed 3 stories and you can get a few people to agree to sign up to Sky TV.
There are charges to connect the dish to an earth. Sky estimates this at £150. Plus there are health and safety considerations if the block is over 3 stories high.
A full IRS requires a specially designed solution. You have to get a quote for one. How many people will be using this system? I think this will be a lot of money for a hardly used system.
Any guess what Stevenage Homes will be charging? They will probably add a management charge. Apparently, two new people were taken on in June 2009 for this project.
There’s a public meeting 8pm, this coming Tuesday, March 9, at Daneshill House on this.
Let’s see if we can get cost estimates then.
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I am discussing this with Stevenage Homes at the moment.
£170 for signals from: freeview, freesat, basic channels plus Sky, Sky+ and DAB is probably quite a good deal, but since my tenant is connected to Virgin Medias digital service they do not require any of it, so why should I pay £170 at all?
I am starting the complaints procedure to go to ‘stage 2′ so we will see what happens.
What is interesting is that if you have a house then you can opt out – so surely the same should be true of flats?
Good luck with your complaint. We will all be very interested in how it goes.
We have been notified that they are adding an additional feature to the system. They are going to connect the CCTV in the lobby to the IRS so that you can view callers to your flat via the TV.
This is something new and adds real value.
But there will be an extra charge for this and we have still had no other price quoted other than the not greater than £250.
They must have some idea by now.