Energy provider in Bergkamen warns residents of potential disruption to district heating services
In a surprising turn of events, community utility company GSW has announced that the scheduled shut-off of central heating for 200 tenants in a high-rise complex in Bergkamen, Germany, has been canceled.
The threat, initially announced on July 17, 2025, at 17:20, had caused concern among the residents, including Jennifer Vogler, a tenant with four children, and Miriam Maschinski, a tenant in poor health. The reason given by GSW was outstanding payments by the property management company, which manages a large part of the complex based in Cologne.
However, on Thursday afternoon, GSW announced that money had been transferred by the property management, effectively canceling the shut-off scheduled for July 22. This news comes as a relief to the tenants, who have been dealing with various issues in the complex, such as damaged windows and doors, and in some cases, missing or damaged elevators.
Despite numerous attempts to reach both the Cologne-based property management company and its managing directors, neither could be reached by phone. The situation had raised questions about the tenants' responsibility for the payment defaults.
Bergkamen's Mayor Bernd Schäfer (SPD), who also chairs the GSW supervisory board, was immediately alarmed by the threat. The situation had also attracted attention from local news sources, but as of the current date, no publicly available update has been provided.
For the latest status, residents and concerned parties are advised to check local news sources or official communications from GSW or the property management company involved. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
The canceled shut-off of central heating for the tenants has alleviated their immediate financial burden, enabling them to focus on other issues within the complex, such as the damaged windows, doors, and elevators. The sudden transfer of funds from the property management company to GSW hints at potential intervention from the energy industry or other financial entities concerned about the impact of the shut-off on the local business environment.
