to book a hotel just to have a bath?

[JammyGem]

Our LK is useless. We've gone 4 months without hot water and he still doesn't seem to be doing anything. Local authority aren't much help.

We slower by boiling a kettle, decanting it into a saucepan, adding cold water and dumping it over our heads. I've not felt clean in months. I've been to the gym a couple of times just to use their shower but often it's so busy that there isn't one free.

I miss having a bath. I tried to do one by boiling water with the kettle, but it took over 3 hours to run and wasn't that warm by the time I had enough water.

I'm at the end of my tether, it's been a shit week, my mental health is failing completely. I haven't been able to get adoctor's appointment for a new prescription so am currently 2 weeks into antidepressant withdrawal and I honestly cannot take any more.

All I want is just to have a bath. I can't really afford it but could put it on my credit card. I just want to be in hot water and to relax and to feel clean. WIBU to book a hotel room tonight?

I was without hot water one winter and used a top loader washing machine to heat bath water iirc. Could you get a tea urn instead of one night in a hotel?

I found this amazing rather expensive thing on Amazon

www.amazon.co.uk/Eccotemp-L5-Portable-Tankless-Outdoor/dp/B000TXOJQ4?tag=mumsnetforum-21

And a more reasonably priced urn

www.amazon.co.uk/VonShef-Catering-Urn-Dispenser-Commercial/dp/B00GMN5UOK/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen-appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1489298450&sr=1-7&keywords=Tea+urn&tag=mumsnetforum-21

You might be able to get an urn on gumtree.

At the time I just needed to find a practical way to cope. Best of luck.

111 can prescribe some things and fax it straight to a pharmacy, or can get you an Out of Hours appointment. But likely it will only be an emergency supply until you can get to your own GP. I don't understand why you need to see a GP to have your AD prescription renewed, isn't it on a repeat?

I second the suggestion of contacting your MP.

You poor thing. Sadly you're no where near us or I'd be inviting you round for a bath.

Do you have children at school? I only ask because a few years ago I was actually approached by a rather embarrassed mum who asked if she could possibly come round for a bath as she was in a similar situation to you. I said yes of course and she turned up later in the day with a bunch of flowers for me and disappeared to the bathroom People will say often say yes but they have to know the need exists.

I hope your landlord pulls his thumb out soon. If not take the advice from PPs and put the pressure on

Yanbu to be desperate for a bath but beware of forking out for a hotel room to get it. I stay in hotels quite regularly for business travel and usually be baths are tiny - I think they assume all adults will be showering and the bath will only be used as a bath if you are travelling with kids. I think only a mega-expensive hotel will have a decent sized bath.

If you can afford it can you put an electric shower in? You shouldn't have to but it might help. Try and claim the cost from your LL.

Good luck

So sorry what's happening. As well at the department at the council are you in touch with your councillor- they might chase up the council officers.

111 can definitely help with prescriptions I've done it before when I've run out of contraceptive pills or my diabetes meds you need to talk to a doctor who can fax a prescription through to a local pharmacy.

Do it Indian style. Get a bucket. Get a plastic cup/jug. Get a short bathstool. Then pour boiling water into the bucket, top it off with cold, and sit down and clean yourself properly with soap. Not having hot water is no reason to feel unclean or take short cuts - the hot water often cuts out at my home and I own it. I don't use it as an excuse to be dirty

Can get a plastic bucket/stool for 1-2 pounds depending on where you are. A jug for 50p-£1. If there are Indian/Pakistani shops in your area that's a good place to start - lots of people prefer to bath that way.

In the meantime, when you are filling the bucket don't just rely on kettle: boil up some big pans of water too. And maybe borrow an extra kettle?

With a good bucketful of water and a plastic cup you should be able to sit on a plastic stool in the bath and have a good soap all over with flannel / sponge.

But I do agree the situation is not acceptable, terrible that you are forced to live this way, and inexcusable of your GP's Reveptionist.

Good luck, OP!

Jammy, this is a sad thread.
Unfortunately, you don't live anywhere near me, as I was going to invite you round for a bath. 💐
Hope it all gets sorted out pronto.

You poor thing. We were without hot water for 10 days over Christmas one year, and it was horrible, even though a kind friend gave us the key to her house so we could shower or bath whenever we liked.

What about neighbours? I'd be happy to let any of my neighbours use our bath/shower if they had no hot water, and I bet yours would be the same. There's also a shower at work that I could use if need be: does your workplace have one? (Lots do, for the people who cycle to work and arrive all sweaty lol)

The campsite suggestion is a good one. www.ukcampsite.co.uk lists 8-10 campsites in Berkshire.

Agree about getting your ADs too. Things will seem less dire when you're back on your meds.

Get on to your local councillor about the council's failure to do anything. Our local environmental health officer will write a stern letter to landlords who've left tenants without hot water for over a week, and follow it up with one threatening legal action after another 10-14 days.

Thanks all.

Feeling much better today and plan to camp at the doctors tomorrow until I get an appointment. It's not on repeat because they have to see me every month due to the severity of the depression.

We don't really get on with the neighbours but I'm going to push myself to use the ones at the gym more often- a good side effect is that no doubt I will actually go to the gym part more often, and I always find it makes me a feel a little less depressed afterwards. There's a shower at work but the women's doesn't work and the men's often has primary school kids using the bathrooms so it's not ideal. I'll ask about getting a timetable of when we have school groups to see the best times to use it without scaring the boys!

Astoria I never said I use having no hot water as an excuse to be dirty, just that compared to a proper, long, steamy shower, I don't feel very clean.

DP is going to call the council tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully they can help make the landlord hurry up with the repairs.

Ignore Jammy.

Shes making assumptions and going by J. Kyle stereotypes just because you dont happen to own your own home.

And nothing about a landlord that has had you without this basic amenity for FOUR MONTHS.

It says more about her than it does about you.

Someone may already have said this but ask for a telephone appointment with your doctor. They will ring you back and do you a prescription.

If you can't do that, go to out of hours.

Whereabouts are you, OP?

Oh sorry, just seen you've said Berkshire above.

Good news! We finally have hot water. DP threatened the LL with legal action and the new boiler was fitted yesterday. I had the most beautiful long relaxing bath last night, it was amazing.

if only he could get our washing machine fixed now

I went to the doctors and they couldn't give me an appointment that day, but I dI'd get offered one Thursday evening, so hopefully tomorrow I'll be back on my meds again.

Thanks for all the advice and well-wishes, it's meant an awful lot!

Pleased for you

I'm glad stuff is sorted, but realistically you need those mess ASAP. I know it's a faff but going to the emergency GP should give you a few days worth.

Congrats! I know I'm too late to be helpful but I had the exact same issue with ADs. My GP receptionist sent me to the walk in clinic who couldn't help but sent me to 111. 111 got the out of hours GP to call me (15 mins later) who faxed a prescription to my local Boots, which was ready about an hour later. A butt load of faff but better than waiting for withdraw to kick in!

Honestly report the landlord to the council as he left you without hot water. If you can not afford a hotel do not put yourself in that position instead I would honestly look at swapping sites ie you swap a hot bath for doing an hours gardening for someone. I was without a bath for a month last Xmas boiler broke and I walked local dogs etc in exchange for an hour in someone's bath. I of course clean up after myself but it really helped.

Well done !

Fantastic news. I realised the couple of times we've been without hot water over the years has coincided with when I've had my period and good god it is awful being without a shower then particularly.

I hope it's still possible to report your landlord, his behaviour is absolutely unacceptable.

When you finally see your GP mention the problems you've had and how long you've been made to wait without medication. They might offer advice to help avoid it happening again.

Glad your water situation is better, I'd be after a rent discount though to compensate for the time you had no hot water? I bet your electricity bill is higher from keep boiling the kettle