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?