Concerns have been raised over the number of gas and electric fires being removed from council homes.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has a policy of not replacing forms of 'secondary heating' which are beyond repair in its properties, in order to meet national energy efficiency standards.

But councillors have called for the authority to start keeping track of the number of times secondary heating has been removed from a property

Councillor Dan Jellyman, leader of the Reform UK group, said the issue is the 'number one complaint' he receives from residents.

Members of the housing, regeneration and operations committee received a report on the council's latest repairs and maintenance performance in relation to its 18,000 homes.

But Cllr Jellyman raised concerns that the figures in the report did not include the number of times items such as electric or gas fires had been removed from properties.

He said a response to a Freedom of Information request indicated that this data is not currently recorded by the council.

Cllr Jellyman said: "Why aren't we measuring the number of secondary sources of heating we've removed from council properties? That's probably my number one complaint from residents.

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"It's normally quite elderly residents and they say they had an electric or gas fire but it's been removed and the council won't replace it, and now they're having to use their primary heating. This is costing them a lot because they're having to heat the entire property, rather than just a room.

"Surely this should be quite an important thing to measure as a repairs indicator?"

Officers told the committee the presence of secondary heating systems such as gas fires can reduce a property's energy performance certificate (EPC) rating. All social housing in England and Wales will have to at least achieve the EPC C rating by 2030.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, said that repairing heating appliances can be difficult due to their age. But he agreed that the council should be keeping track of the number of times secondary heating systems are removed.

Cllr Robinson said: "We have a massive problem that when these electric or gas fires do go, they're just not made any more, and we have no supply of parts. So we remove them because we can't replace them.

"I totally agree that we should be monitoring it. And I understand there are issues with costs if they're using their primary heating."

According to the latest figures presented to the committee, the council carried out 90.2 per cent of emergency repairs within 24 hours in 2025/26, with 93.8 per cent of routine repairs being completed within 28 days.