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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think 'in the next 24 hours' is a cop out?

40 replies

youarekidding · 27/11/2011 10:57

OK, I probably ABU but need to rant!

My boiler has broken this morning - tried changing fuse but to no avail. It's a combi boiler (I think!) run off electric but heats by gas.

So I ring the HA emergency line. I accept this isn't an emergency - there's no risk of explosion and no water leaking everywhere but does need sorting ASAP as no hot water or more importantly no heating (mindyou my thermostat is set low due to costs!).

So the lady on the phone happily tells me 'stay put and we'll get someone out to you as soon as we can'. Oh I think and ask how long a wait. 'within the next 24 hours'. I ask what's the lastest time they'll come and earliest in the morning to be told they'll come anytime in the next 24 hours. So I ask as they have my mobile number will they ring me when they're due. (need to do food shop etc) 'No'.

I maybe being cynical but maintenence start work at 8am so get the feeling I'll just be added as a first thing job for 8am. I asked the lady if this was likely as would need to inform work to get the reply (in a shocked tone) 'oh you work'.

though I fully accept there are people worse off than me.

OP posts:

altinkum · 27/11/2011 11:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dirtydishesmakemesad · 27/11/2011 11:00

24 hours sounds like an amazing response time for a repair to be honest!. Its Annoying they wont give you an actual time if yu have things to do but again 24 hours is fab!

Graciescotland · 27/11/2011 11:14

I think not having any heat/ hot water is a bit of an emergency in the winter. Last year the battery in the prepaid gas meter died and the gas turned off. Called Scottish Gas, who assured me that as I had a newborn I was an emergency they'd be with me that morning, then by two, then by five, then by six, then I got told that they'd try to be around the next day and that there were worse people off than me and that I should never of been told they'd be round that day

Obviously by that point I'd waited in a freezing house all day because if I missed the engineer I'd of had to pay the call out charge and they were always on their way until they weren't. Why they can't call your mobile I have no idea. Oddly enough the engineer was able to call my mobile before he arrived the following day when I explained calmly but with barely suppressed rage that I was going to stay in a hotel that night. I would return when the meter was fixed but if that took more than an additional 24 hours I'd be attending small claims court to claim back my expenses including any call out charge.

WorraLiberty · 27/11/2011 11:17

24hrs is a brilliant response, there are people who have to wait a week or so around here as standard.

Thing is, there's no point in them giving you a rough estimate on time if they are an emergency line.

If they had one or two proper emergencies, they wouldn't be on time anyway.

mrsjay · 27/11/2011 11:17

I hope you get it fixed soon although you kind of have to wait in for them im sure they wont appear at 1 am or anything like that , when we were a council house and the boiler broke they came at 7pm , I think your just going to have to grin and bear it ,

slavetofilofax · 27/11/2011 11:18

You have absolutley nothing to complain about.

You are much much better off than a homeowner is in this situation.

Graciescotland · 27/11/2011 11:21

It's not really "things to do" it's work/ food shopping. Having money and being able to eat are fairly important IME.

I really can't imagine why an engineer can't call and say at what time s/he'll be there, even if it's just morning or afternoon.

pollywollyhadadollycalledmolly · 27/11/2011 11:23

It's not acceptable to be told within 24 hours.

Phone them back. I take it you have kids in the house too? Thy can't leave you with no heating and hot water.

Where do you stay? It's absolutely frozen where I am and snowed a bit here on Friday. So pretty cold lol I wouldn't be taking 24 hours as an acceptable time.

crashdoll · 27/11/2011 11:25

YABU. It's only 24 hours and I'm assuming you don't live in Antarctica.

WorraLiberty · 27/11/2011 11:27

Thy can't leave you with no heating and hot water

For 24hrs? Yes of course they can.

Imo an 'emergency' is a house with a new born baby, a sick person or an OAP.

In other words, someone who could actually die or get very ill because they're without heating for 24hrs.

TheOriginalNutcracker · 27/11/2011 11:28

I am a HA tennant and i think within 24 hours is fine tbh.

I recently had to wait a week for them to come out when I had a leak in my bathroom that was dripping through my dining room ceiling.

At the end of the day I am always just thankful that I don't have to pay for the repairs.

NinkyNonker · 27/11/2011 11:31

Blimey, I think that is good! Finding someone reliable at that short notice isn't easy. You'll survive!

Original poster

youarekidding · 27/11/2011 11:34

I know how lucky I am it will be within 24 hours. 3 years ago when the condenser pipe broke they diagnosed it over the phone, told me they'd come within 24 hours, turned up at 1.15am, removed the condenser pipe and said 'but I don't have any but the maintenece guys do. They'll be here between 8 and 4 tomorrow to fix it'. So I was up half the night for nothing.

I can't afford to lose a days pay, can't do food shop online because no slots so DS will have school dinner tomorrow - not a major problem.

I guess my main worry - which is probably rediculous - is that DS has allergies and previous unexplained anaphylatic shock. A year ago today he had one when there was a sudden temperature drop outside. He had a mild reaction last night (cross contamination of food and only skin reaction) and I'm worrying myself if the house gets too cold it could happen again.

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Graciescotland · 27/11/2011 11:40

It might be worth a ring around you friends to see if anyone has a plug in heater they can drop round to you. That way you can have at least one room warm.

lisianthus · 27/11/2011 11:41

I think it's pretty poor that they can't at least call and tell you when the engineer is on his way.

Original poster

youarekidding · 27/11/2011 11:45

Gracie Why didn't I think of that! Will do that thanks.

I think if they're not here by bedtime I'll ring and say leave it until the morning. I don't think getting out of my warm bed at 2am to bed told the boilers broken will achieve anything!

OP posts:

Vicki1981 · 27/11/2011 11:46

You're lucky. We have oil, we hadn't had any for two winters before this one - due to circumstance and being skint.

My oh is a gas engineer to the council houses (or ha) and when he's on call he's out of the house within a few minutes. Different areas must have different times for response.

WorraLiberty · 27/11/2011 11:48

You mean you don't have a spare heater for emergencies despite having boiler problems before and your DH reacting like that to a sudden temperature drop?

Buy one!

Groovee · 27/11/2011 11:49

I think 24 hours at the weekend is pretty good going. Dh is a call out engineer and explains to people he can diagnose the fault for £80 plus Vat (company charge) but he may not be able to fix until later on when merchants are open. Our council provide tenants with plug in heaters but many refuse to use them due to costs.

Original poster

youarekidding · 27/11/2011 11:58

It was my DS - not DH or DP!. The allergies already existed but seemed to just become bad on a day with a sudden drop in temperature. Could have been co-incidence. I wish I could afford a storage heater but money is very tight.

I don't disagree 24 hours is a good time. But think being told to remain in a cold house with no hot water for 24 hours when they could call to say they'll be half hour (if no-one experiences a true emergency) is not necessary. Also to have a shocked reaction to my going to work is pretty rude IMO.

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Original poster

youarekidding · 27/11/2011 11:59

Do storage heaters cost a lot to run? My friend has one she can lend me.

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hubbard86 · 27/11/2011 12:33

IMHO YAB a bit U. My boiler has been broken for 5 days so far. My landlord has had 4 different contractors in and i'm still without a date for when i can expect hot water and heating again. I do have storage heaters but can only afford to run them for an hour in the evening to heat the kids rooms. I have a ds3 and a dd 9months.

You are very lucky that it'll be fixed within 24 hrs.

squeakytoy · 27/11/2011 12:38

You have electricity, so you can heat water in a pan. You are not without water, and it is not bitterly cold weather either.

Storage heaters? do you mean a fan heater or a plug in radiator?

Vicki1981 · 27/11/2011 12:47

Elec heaters are a fortune to run over a long time but for a short time they're ok.

Original poster

youarekidding · 27/11/2011 13:34

hubbard sorry to hear you've been without for 5 days. It may well be like that for me as there's no garuntee mine can be fixed and IME especially with the call out team.

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