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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WWYD - on hol - left oven on?!

290 replies

Ovenon1 · 20/05/2023 22:14

We've just gone on holiday and DH is having a -shit I can't remember turning the oven off moment....

No one has a spare key to the house and we don't live near family.

I'm pretty sure it was off but I was getting kids dressed and ready when he was making lunch.

Not sure what to do now and obviously it's worrying!

It's an old hotpoint oven.

Could we get someone to go and turn the gas off? The gas box is outside. Arghhhh.

Any one been in this situation? What do we do?!

OP posts:
zingally · 21/05/2023 11:23

I did something a bit similar once, but luckily it was only driving to work! I was about halfway there, and suddenly thought, "I didn't turn turn the electric blanket in the bed off..." Debated leaving it, but in the end I went back, and it WAS still on. Years and years ago, my great-grandparents had a fire caused by a faulty electric blanket, so it's something we're, as a family, a bit paranoid about.

A few years back, I learnt a helpful hint for those "did I turn the X off/on?" before a holiday... Take a video or a photo of yourself on your phone, doing the thing.
I find that, right before you leave for a holiday, your head is so full of thoughts, that the basic "leaving the house" stuff becomes overwhelming. So now I video myself turning off the boiler, emptying the kitchen bin, locking the front door, and locking the car. It really helps.

ScribblingPixie · 21/05/2023 11:57

I'm invested in the big reveal when you get home. Enjoy your holiday, OP.

TheShellBeach · 21/05/2023 12:04

Posting to be there at the denouement.
When will you be back?

Myn · 21/05/2023 12:10

Any windows that are able to be opened from the outside and a trusty 7 year old? They could take their parents phone take an image of the oven and take it back to parents if it's off they can just leave if not expense of locksmith or breaking in I think

PriamFarrl · 21/05/2023 12:55

alqoam · 20/05/2023 22:28

Do you have smart meters tracking on an app? From mine it would be easy to see if we had left something on.

This! Even if you have an app if you have a smart meter then the energy company can tell you if gas is being used.

WeAreTheHeroes · 21/05/2023 13:01

Myn · 21/05/2023 12:10

Any windows that are able to be opened from the outside and a trusty 7 year old? They could take their parents phone take an image of the oven and take it back to parents if it's off they can just leave if not expense of locksmith or breaking in I think

At least read the OP's posts if you're not going to RTFT

PriamFarrl · 21/05/2023 13:06

NeverDropYourMooncup · 21/05/2023 10:54

They already know, don't worry. The person I knew who had convictions for such was helped to find a job by his Probation Officer. In a window manufacturing firm.

Show quote history

As they say, a locked door will only stop an honest person.

PriamFarrl · 21/05/2023 13:07

Nanaof1 · 21/05/2023 11:16

There was nothing to break into since the gas shut-off valve in outside. I cannot even imagine how unsafe and inside gas shut-off valve would be.
So yes, the police would come and turn it off, though the fire department is more able to do so since they turn them off more often, know where they are and what to do.

The majority of posters were intelligent enough to figure out the gas shut-off valve as being the smart choice and not "breaking into the house". LOL!

Show quote history

My gas shut off is inside. Not that unusual.

shammalammadingdong · 21/05/2023 13:09

FrazzledMCPremenopausalWoman · 20/05/2023 23:59

This is genius! I struggle with OCD and GAD and am recovering from agoraphobia - the panic that I've left the oven/hob/hair straighteners switched on or the door unlocked, is all-consuming and is guaranteed to ruin pretty much every outing we have as a family. If I take photos then although it won't help with the root cause, at least I can reassure myself while I'm out and relax a little. Thank you x

Show quote history

I do this with the curlers, iron etc. It's invaluable. But you do have to remember to do it!

CabbagePatchDole · 21/05/2023 13:18

Myn · 21/05/2023 12:10

Any windows that are able to be opened from the outside and a trusty 7 year old? They could take their parents phone take an image of the oven and take it back to parents if it's off they can just leave if not expense of locksmith or breaking in I think

Wow. You have a criminal mind. That's a compliment by the way.

Cola2534 · 21/05/2023 13:20

You almost certainly haven't.

However, most ovens do have a glass door and a light which comes on when the oven is on.... is there a window anyone could look through from outside, maybe in the dusk, and be able to see if the light was on?

Hope this will be a lesson to you to leave a key with someone when you go away! It's pretty dumb not to, to be honest.

mumtoboys12 · 21/05/2023 13:26

Do let us know !

HangerLaneGyratorySystem · 21/05/2023 13:33

Glad its sorted but I'm still intrigued as to how you got a gas engineer to do this; did you just call a local Corgi registered plumber?

Bagpuss2022 · 21/05/2023 13:43

We left ours on by accident a whole week it was on and it was fine .. but for some reason our glass in the to cabinet exploded as we left the sky box on!

Somanysocks · 21/05/2023 14:24

I would have phoned Cadent who I think come out for free.

towriteyoumustlive · 21/05/2023 14:54

Ovenon1 · 20/05/2023 22:14

We've just gone on holiday and DH is having a -shit I can't remember turning the oven off moment....

No one has a spare key to the house and we don't live near family.

I'm pretty sure it was off but I was getting kids dressed and ready when he was making lunch.

Not sure what to do now and obviously it's worrying!

It's an old hotpoint oven.

Could we get someone to go and turn the gas off? The gas box is outside. Arghhhh.

Any one been in this situation? What do we do?!

Glad you got it sorted.

I'm really tired and completely mis-read your first line as I didn't spot the hyphen. I read it as:

"We've just gone on holiday and DH is having a shit. I can't remember turning the oven off" 🙄

It's funny how changing a hyphen for a full stop completely changes a sentence. It took me a moment to realise that your husband was not actually having a shit and it was part of the next bit of the sentence.

Redglitter · 21/05/2023 15:31

Police are often involved with helping people get access into their own homes. As well as knowing how to bypass low security entry, like slipping a shim in a back door, they have knowledge of trusted and reliable locksmiths who can drill out a lock

Yes people who are locked out not people in another country. Our Force doesn't have locksmith details nor will they recommend one. There's no way in these circumstances the Police (at least in the Force I'm in) would get involved. It would be a Fire Service call without question

WhatAmIDoingWrong123 · 21/05/2023 15:40

Redebs · 21/05/2023 07:50

Exactly! And suggesting getting local police to do a check is ridiculed as if preventing a fire and gas explosion aren't worth bothering them with...

OBVIOUSLY YOU'D GET A FRIEND WITH A KEY TO GO AND DO IT IF YOU HAD A FRIEND WITH A KEY!

Show quote history

It took the local police hours and hours to come to our street while the local racist was out and about shouting horrible abuse in the street. They only came out when he appeared with a knife.

I can’t see ‘I think I might have left my oven on and I’m on holiday now’ getting much of a response.

LadyRos · 21/05/2023 15:50

National gas service call them, in future give someone a spare key and get a doorbell camera so you can at least check your house is okay

Modda · 21/05/2023 16:41

Glad it's sorted.

Dalekjastninerels · 21/05/2023 19:02

Modda · 21/05/2023 16:41

Glad it's sorted.

Yes :)

MucozadeOnLucozade · 21/05/2023 21:19

I would drive back home to check, sorry this has happened to you.

AdobeWanKenobi · 21/05/2023 21:52

MucozadeOnLucozade · 21/05/2023 21:19

I would drive back home to check, sorry this has happened to you.

I would go to the OP, click see all and then read the OPs posts…

MucozadeOnLucozade · 21/05/2023 22:49

Adobewankenobi I have read them, but I'd still have to go home to check.

alqoam · 21/05/2023 22:56

MucozadeOnLucozade · 21/05/2023 22:49

Adobewankenobi I have read them, but I'd still have to go home to check.

That's really stupid

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