I’ve had no cooker for 10 weeks -social housing issue

[Rokuandice]

does anyone have any knowledge of cooker installation and or council housing repairs please? My South London council has left me unable to cook for more than 2 months now and refusing to assist. AIBU to think they should help?
My last cooker had one of those glass lids that you lift up for when hob was in use. Because it lifted up against the wall, I never really thought about what was behind the lid when cooking. However, the oven broke at the end of August and so it was time to order a replacement. Ordered a similar but without the glass lid (none of the ones for sale had one) with a major UK retailer/installer. I then received an email from them requesting that I check there were no sockets, plastics, combustible anything within ‘the hot zone’. If there were they would not be able to install due to fire safety I presume.
on checking I had a switched plug socket and separate plastic trunking both within the hot zone area. I postponed delivery and requested a repair from the council. Three weeks and many phone calls to them later ( as they’d messed the paperwork up) an electrician came out. He moved the socket but his manager told him that he was not allowed to move the plastic trunking/live wires as the council no longer chase cable into walls. I was told it would be safe as the plastic should be heatproof. A few days later of course the cooker was delivered and the installer took one look at the trunking on the wall and refused to install - it is located 25cm above the large back burner. He said even if I managed to find a cooker with a glass lid again, installation would be refused due to hot zone regulation. I’ve checked and this is standard across all the UK retailers.
the council repairs team have been awful. They’ve closed the repair request due to it being considered ‘decorative’ - they definitely think IBU. Electrics are way beyond my DIY. No local tradesman is getting back to me and besides, my Tenancy agreement says that moving electrical sockets etc is a no no in their property
so far I’ve reached out to the Town Hall/ lead Councillor - I was then told that the council were required to reply to him formally within 10 days - no response 22 days later and I’m just being told to wait.
I put in a formal complaint - no response
i contacted my MP - she’ll get back to me within 20 days (automated response)
my diet has gone haywire. I’m stressed, upset and dreading not being able to cook at Christmas when my child is home from uni…. Thank you to anyone who managed to read all this. I hate having to think about it - so boring I know - but really so stressful for me .. any advice mumsnetters?AIBU that I should be able to cook at home?

Environmental health.
CEO of council.
Housing ombudsman.
MP.
Media.

Honestly, my eyes just rolled at what she said.

I don't think the council will do anything, they have provided the necessary stuff to have a cooker. Can't you sell the new one and buy the lid one, this could go on forever

You need to become a squeaky wheel. You are waiting for people to respond. Ring and email the council every day. Contact the head of the housing department, the chief exec of the council. Refer to it as hazardous wiring not meeting the regulations for kitchens. Get in touch with your local councillor and ask when their next surgery is as you would like an in person meeting. Same for your MP.

Sometimes you have to be a complete PITA to get things done.

No, they haven’t. The place in her kitchen were a cooker needs to go does not meet modern safety requirements. She has explained several times now that this would be the case even if the new cooker had a glass lid.

Read the OP's properly.

The OP cannot have any cooker due to how the electric socket is installed.

The electric cables cannot have plastic trunking as it is a fire hazard.

You might be able to find someone local on Gumtree you could also try Facebook. I got someone to fit my gas cooker for £50. I wouldn't bother telling the council as I doubt they'd notice and what would they do anyway if they found out?

Can you escalate your complaint? In order to speak to the ombudsman, your complaint must be officially closed.

The Citizens Advice may be able to advocate on your behalf or Shelter might be able to help.

OP do you have any disabilities or any children under 10 in the household?

As most media outlets are concerned with damp and mould but if you have anything you can use like that then they would be interested.

I was listening to an episode ITN Trapped podcast today.

There are a few other campaigners but I can't remember them off hand.

This is most definitely a council issue and something they should be resolving asap. Chase up your complaint and if you don’t get a response outside their published completed timelines then go to the ombudsman.

I would contact Shelter for advice. I'd also start the complaints process. Have you looked into paying someone privately to make the changes?

I agree with this. Shelter are fantastic. Really helpful and knowledgeable. Give them a ring tomorrow, OP. Don't be put off if you have to wait on the 'phone - the phone lines are often extremely busy, but it will be worth it, i'm sure.

Try getting your local councillor involved. Council officers tend to take notice of them (well, they did when I worked in local government).

And use the council's complaints procedure. It seems quite simple to me, the kitchen wiring/trunking no longer meets modern safety standards and needs to be removed, or the kitchen reconfigured and refitted so that there is space for a cooker where there's no trunking or wiring. The former would be the cheaper option.

Have you spoken to your housing officer?

Sounds like you have tried everyone to get it sorted, so I'm not sure what else you could do.

They DO sell stand alone hobs though. This link is a double, but strangely, their single one costs more!

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9394827?clickSR=slp:term:hob:1:102:1
They are also available cheaper on amazon, currys, robert dyas etc. When renovating, I used a double one. Frypan on 1 and a steamer on the other. This fitted all the veg/fish/meat etc I needed.

Have you got an airfryer I can't remember the last time I used the oven

Are you a bit simple? OP had explained that even one with a lid cannot be installed as the regulations changed. You seem to have trouble understanding this thread.

Fit a back plate/splash back over the entire area so teunking is covered. You can get ones that are hollow at the back

I’ve actually considered that, but the wood battening behind it worried me - and I’d definitely need to do that to allow for the height of the trunking

The guardian have columnist who help with this sort of thing, different issue but a friend with a problem had it sorted within 48 once they got involved

I’ve tried and tried. So many lunch breaks taken up with being on hold and then speaking to sympathetic but powerless call handlers :(

Maybe you could assist the OP by finding a free standing cooker that doesn’t have a hob.

A heart arrhythmia which is exacerbated by stress (Long QT) and a neurodiversity. Also a care leaver but a long time ago. Honestly I’m a very private person, but I did write to the problem page in The Observer a few days ago - I doubt I’ll hear back but will want anonymity if I do due to my job. A few people have mentioned Shelter, I did think of them but feel a bit uncomfortable when they deal daily with way more tragic stuff than I have going on

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I needed that 🥰

That sounds very frustrating. I would go up the chain email the Chief Exec and Head of Housing with your councillor and housing officer in copy. Say due to hazardous wiring that doesn’t meet regulations you have been left without any cooking facilities for months.

I wrote to them just a few days ago! I think it falls under The Observer too. Thanks 😊 not heard back yet .. I’m just trying to get someone to listen really, someone who can go poke them

I’ve just ordered an all in one from AO - I have the same steamer so his will be (hopefully) temporary fix at least

It is so frustrating. They’ve made me feel so unreasonable about this. I’ve put in a formal complaint to the council last week following advice from ombudsman. I wrote to the leader of he council,at the town hall, 22 working days ago. He said that the repairs team had to give him a formal response within 10 days. Still nothing. I asked for an update (on days 13 and 16 apx) and was twice told that I just needed to wait. So he wasn’t any help neither. I won’t be voting for him again. I hate that term ‘Karen’ ( i really do) - but I’m being made to feel like woman of a certain age with an unnecessary grumble - and that just makes me steam!