Sorry - very long!
Over the last couple of weeks I had smelt a funny smell. It was an odd smell and I couldn't work out if it was electric or gas wafting in the lounge. My boiler is an old baxi. DP couldn't smell. DS - 12 weeks old Saturday just gone started to have 'deep' naps and I was very concerned.
I was trying to avoid calling someone out over Christmas. I began putting boiler/heating on less. My MIL had seen a guy working next door putting in central heating/boiler to her and asked if he could pop over and he said he would (this was the 22 Dec). I also rang him and he said he would contact me the next day (23). He never called.
Came home from a day out with friends and babies 23 Dec around 16:00. Walked into the house and DP had the heating on full-blast - the smell was over-powering as I had been out in the fresh air and come in as house was heating.
Contacted our supplier. They suggested I take out the boiler cover (£16 a month) which I did. Then they sent out an emergency guy who was great. He arrived v quickly. When he finally found the problem he confirmed my concerns as it was Carbon Monoxide (and we were v lucky) and soot had collected on the boiler.
On the 24 Dec I contacted my supplier at 08:00 and mentioned new-born so they said they would send someone out that day as a priority case for a £69 call out fee for the call-out and 1st hour (as these were special circumstances) plus whatever else was incurred and I was happy to pay this. He couldn't find the boiler cover ref the guy the night before had drawn up so had to go through all the registering process again and I asked if I could add on electric wiring cover (now totalling £20). He then mentioned that the cover would not 'cover' this charge as it takes 14 days for the application to go through - no mention of this the night before. I thought - oh well - need it anyway...
I telephoned again at 10:30 that morning to re-confirm it would be that day as the gentleman I spoke to who confirmed someone would come out didn't call back (and I was concerned as it was Christmas Eve). The lady said that yes - it had all been confirmed and someone would come out. There was a window until 20:00 and the gas-person could call anytime between now and 20:00. So we stayed in that day where my DS had developed a chesty cough.
No one turned up. We were very upset as by that point we had been totally let down and it was too late to call anyone.
We have had no heating or hot water over Christmas and have been using 2 oil filled radiators and a heated fan which cost a fortune to run! My son has a really bad chest infection and it has been difficult to keep him warm. We're both coming down with it now too. He's also quite a sickly baby and I have a mountain of washing piling up! We have been showering at my MILs.
The supplier's website has been 'down' since Christmas Eve as there is no-one there.
So - basically I don't know what my rights are if I have any.. And I think they have been negligent - have they?
I would just be grateful if someone could advise me of the best course of action here.
I need someone to come and service the boiler so WWYD?