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

[youarekidding]

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.

You're quite lucky really. When my boiler broke when DD was a newborn I was told within 24 hours. That's for a service I pay for.

I kind of sympathise in that saying they will be out within 24 hour is no guarantee of a fix, our boiler broke and I called our insurance emergency service, guy came out the next day but said he didn't have the parts and would need authorisation before he could order them. In the end we went from Weds to Monday with no hot water or heating (newish baby in the house) as they kept trying to claim it wasn't the kind of fault they were responsible for fixing. And that's from a service we pay about £100 for annually.

Why should she be bloody grateful? Lol she pays rent and part of goes towards repairs. So it's included in the cost of her rent.

I do pay for the service. I pay a ground maintenence charge/ service charge. There's no call out fee but I still pay monthly for the service - it's itemised on my bill. And they do charge for some callouts - like when my washing machine imploded water all over my kitchen causing damage to downstairs light I had to pay. My contents insurance covered my stuff but not my neighbours and I can't get buildings insurance as don't own the building. I was told tuff - it's £60 for the 5 minutes work we did.

I'm not whinging but do feel be told to 'sit tight' in a cold house is a bad choice of words when they could call me to say there on their way. They must know if they have jobs on and how many at the time. If they had no emergencies then its wrong for them not to come - that's all I'm saying.

X posts polly Thanks.

UPDATE: Maintenence came round about 6pm. Can't fix boiler as needs parts (was pretty sure this would be the case).

I thanked him for coming so quickly and said I'm glad it wasn't 3am! He said boiler is an emergency in the winter. He saw DS allergy etc meds on side in kitchen and asked if he had a medical condition. I said of sorts as allergies and that's why there was a bowl of warm water with flannel on the side as he needs his skin washed PDQ if he touches something and reacts. Offered to move everything out of my matchbox sized kitchen if he needed me to.

Outcome is he said it was necessary he came today as needs to order parts asap and that he will put me as an emergency fix when they arrive (as oppossed to a go when someone available!)

I asked about the 24 hour thing (nicely!) and he said they know how many jobs are on (in my case I was no 7 if nothing else major came up) and they could have said, as they would know, it wouldn't be until after 4pm at the earliest.

So hopefully in the next 5 days I'll have hot water and heating.

Meh. How lucky are you. Me, DF, and DS are sat here now, all in pjs, jumpers, dressing gowns and bed socks, in front of an electric plug in radiator, under a 15 tog duvet, and its still fucking freezing. I'm actually crying writing this, because I can't believe I've got another winter without heating or hot water. My boiler is 4 years old, and has never worked properly since it was 18 months old. Both last winter and the winter before it broke down, and it took me 3/4 months to save up enough to repair it. Last week was the 8th time its broken down. I can't get insurance for it because its never in a properly working state.

This time it is not repairable. 4 different plumbers tell me so. I need a new boiler. At a £1400 cost. This will take me nearly a year to save up. I can't get a loan. We will have to live through it yet again.

So sorry if I have no sympathy.

The Detective sorry to hear your having such a hard time. I am not concerned about the wait and have said that. I also admitted IWBU at the start and just ranting.

I'm not making excuses or trying to justify myself but it's more on the end of a whole bunch of things breaking in the last 3 weeks (washing machine/car and more) which I can't afford to fix. It was a shite morning and when trying to wash clothes by hand and discovering you have no hot water and house will be cold so it won't dry it was the straw that broke the camels back so to say.

I know there are many others out there who are worse of than me (as I said in my OP). You do have my sympathy and I'm sorry things are so tough for you atm.

its tough and yes I dislike the fact they can not call .But often find if you call back int he morning they will take your number

hubbard

see you 5 days and raise you almost a month with only 2 days where it has worked .Yay to moving next month though

yourkidding rant away we all do it and it is miserable without it and waiting around to on the well maybe

TBH my job was my saving grace with the maintenece guy!

When he said about DS allergies/ respiritory problems I said it was a concern but there are people worse off than me. I said the children I work with (SEN school) for example wouldn't be remotely safe in cold conditions. The man has a brother who is physically and cognitively disabled and said he thought I had a lovely attitude He didn't see my thread!. So I'm not a completely heartless bitch despite what it seemed from my OP and was just ranting.

Sorry if I offended anyone - truely I am.

5 days sounds good, moved into new flat recently (rental) to discover landlord had failed to put in a gas meter, took 3 weeks to get one installed so we could have heating and hot water.

Was not easy washing up and bathing toddler and ourselves with boiled kettles and pans of boiled water, but we managed.

Had one oil filled radiator which we used to heat whichever room we were in and all slept in one bedroom as DD's bedroom was far too cold.

The Detective sorry to hear about your situation, do you qualify for a warm front grant from the government?

5 days is great! It's a relief to know it will be fixed. DS swims on Monday and due to strike is at my parents Weds and also Fri (inset). He can have a bath/ shower there and his doublebase applied.

kidding .

Your only human so rant away whether its 24 hours or a month it is bloody miserable and a pita to be without hotwater and heating

/Respiratory problems can be miserable so dont let anyone make you feel bad for ranting