No freezer allowed

[Theposterwithlotsofnames]

Does this seem odd? There's nothing we can do about it but just wondering.

Ds is in supported accommodation /semi independent. For people with mental health issues.

His own bathroom and his bedroom with a kitchen it has everything from a cooker/oven which is not allowed . But it has a microwave and hes allowed to get an air fryer.

He has a fridge but no freezer . And hes not allowed to get his own. That seems a bit odd to me it means he cant store food for longer periods. Stuff can go off faster that equals food waste and spending more money on food.

Maybe it’s to encourage a better diet rather than buying a lot of beige frozen food ?

I'd imagine it's either to do with cost of electricity or the food poisoning risk from food accidentally defrosting and being frozen again.

So no frozen peas or ice cubes then?

@Theposterwithlotsofnames Is there a small freezer box incorporated into the fridge?

A fridge is the minimum standard of equipment required in supported living where kitchen facilities are provided. However, a freezer is not a required item.

Fridges and freezers are a particular fire risk. So if there's a fridge in the accommodation provided by the landlord, they will have checked and verified with their insurance and risk assessments, but if a resident buys a secondhand freezer, then there's an additional risk of fire.

No theres not. I think its silly as much as they may want to encourage healthy eating /fresh food. People in this situation are often on low budgets. Or may want to cook something healthy then freeze left overs.

I know theses places they only have to supply a fridge. But I think they should be allowed a freezer if it's supplied by the resident. Maybe new only so they know its safe.

On the safety side to it hes allowed an air fryer, and multi cooker . But no freezer.

Anyway my moaning makes no difference as that's the rule 😅

Freezer helps me to eat better
frozen chopped veg, frozen fruit, batch cooking… I couldn’t live without a freezer

I also had this in emergency accommodation- I had a fridge with the little freezer box at the top but I didn’t keep it frozen . Quite a pain really

To be honest my emgency accommodation had a fridge freezer so it was OK. I know most only have a fridge though.

But ds just has the fridge he will be there roughly 6 months . Probably end up buying every other day from co op ffs.

Yeah that's how ds feels its going to cost him more money food wise than it would if he had a freezer. And it makes budgeting harder. Because he cant just think right I will spend x on food stick it in freezer that will last 2 weeks.

Have you asked why it is not allowed?

To be honest no. Didn't thi know theres much point. Its obviously a rule they have and its wont be changed.

I don't want to bug ds either. Hes a bit stressed at the moment

Don't know about freezers but I do know that a lot of places rely on heating ready meals so it doesn't make sense why they can't have a freezer ...

This is a fire hazard isn't it. I don't want to burst his bubble 😭

Possibly because they'd all PAT tested but might be to do with risk.

Yes, if his accommodation is inspected, he'll probably be told to take it all down.

An air fryer is less of a risk than a freezer as it's likely to be a witnessed fire if it were to ignite. The danger with freezers is they overheat at the back, where it can't be seen until they're well alight, and can also happen anytime, unlike cooking appliances which usually ignite while in use and supervised

Is this supported accommodation managed or overseen by a charity or is it local authority? Maybe if you could land a strategically-placed letter on the right desk explaining the reasons why a small freezer would be a very good idea and would support healthy eating and budgeting?

It just might seem less odd if you knew their reason for saying no to freezers.

And might help you find a solution or workaround.

OP is that an actual photo- if so has your DS agreed to you posting (guessing not given your comment) It would be quite easy for someone to identify such as a support worker who happens to be on MN. I’m not saying it would cause a problem for him just not private.

He knows l. I asked him if i could post pics of his room a day or do ago because I was excited for him 😅 but I decided not to. So he's ok with me posting that one.

Good. Not having any freezer would be a pain. I don’t know the setup - even if he has to shop more often could he agree with a neighbour to shop together so that they split larger packs that are often better value?

A fridge is still good, things can last in the fridge for ages. You wouldn’t need to shop more often than weekly with a fridge I think. Veggies stay fresh for ages in the fridge. I think it’ll be ok. Better with a freezer but it’s not hard to manage.

No i don't think that would be a good idea .it could cause all sorts of problems.

Meat doesn't last very long at all. I think he just wanted to be able to get his money. Do his shop so he knows it's all sorted and he doesn't have to think about it money wise because its done.

He doesn't like supermarkets and buses either so where he will have to buy more often that stops hom doing a home delivery shop.

I was going to say since its accommodation for people who have mental health issues I would have thought its quite a common thing to not like super markets crowded buses etc . But maybe I have it the wrong way round maybe its to make sure the person cant just get a big ish shop then stay in their room without ever leaving.

I’m not trying to downplay it, I know it makes it harder. I’m just sharing my experience - eg we get a shop delivered on Saturday mornings, and the chicken they sent had a use by date of the following Friday, and it’s usually Thursday at least. It’s often good through for about 5 or 6 days - I know that’s not as long as a freezer should keep it, and fish won’t last as long either, and it’s more hassle if the dates do come in short, but it’s better than a couple of days. It might not be as bad as he thinks.

An air fryer? He would be better with a freezer