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Original poster

Left to freeze!!!

117 replies

OneBrightAzureBiscuit · 07/01/2025 03:11

Hi, hope you all well. I just need some advice please. So me and my partner have a gas card for gas , same for electric. Anyways, our gas card broke and apparently an engineer was meant to come out for like 4 days. Anyways, we called them tonight after I had a massive asthma attack due to the freezing cold in the flat & the woman on the line said nothing could be done tonight. Yet the helpline is 24/7?

we are absolutely freezing in the flat- we have no heating or hot water BUT we have electric cos it’s a separate mains or something like that? So we do have a kettle, lights, oven etc.
just looking for advice on what to do and tips for staying warm immediately tonight. British Gas won’t help us at all, surely they have some sort of duty of care? The woman sounded shocked when we told her it’s been 4 days with no heat but yet wouldn’t help us. Any tips please?
we have been layering with blankets and drinking coffee&soup x

OP posts:
sykadelic · 07/01/2025 03:18

Electric blanket? I'm sorry, this is dreadful!

MrsTerryPratchett · 07/01/2025 03:19

Have you got/can you get any hot water bottles?

Poppyseeds79 · 07/01/2025 03:25

If you're on a top up meter I'm assuming you've already used your emergency credit? Whose your fuel supplier? Because it should have gone into friendly hours. Even if your gas card broke you should still be able to download the app to top up online?

They wouldn't send an engineer out for this? They'd issue a new card/emergency code? It's not a boiler issue as such

Poppyseeds79 · 07/01/2025 03:30

You can still top up without your card and type the code into your keypad. I'm sorry but this sounds wrong that they'd leave you with nothing if your card snapped. Unless you've already gone above your emergency credit and failed to pay it back? They can't credit additional to your meter if you just say you are unable to top up

JamNittyGritty · 07/01/2025 03:39

This will cost in terms of electricity but you can turn the oven up high and leave the oven door open, will give some heat in the kitchen especially if you can close kitchen doors to trap heat in the kitchen only. Body heat is best so cuddle up under blankets / duvets. Hats on to stop heat loss through your head.

Any 24 hour cafes or motorway service stations you can get to easily to stay in until morning?

As soon as shops open buy a couple of electric heaters to warm the place up until the gas is sorted? Argos do a range for different prices if there is one near you?

flyingfar · 07/01/2025 03:42

Have you got hot water bottles or microwaveable wheat bags? I once stayed somewhere so cold I went to bed fully dressed with hat and gloves, thick socks and heavy fleece. It’s miserable but I’m worried about your asthma attack. Could you keep warm in the kitchen with the oven on and leaving the oven door open for a bit? It might be worth talking to them tomorrow about getting on their priority register because of your asthma. Also go and get a small heater tomorrow. It’s always worth having one for events like this.

ILoveAnnaQuay · 07/01/2025 03:53

Ask on your local.commumitt FB page if anyone has an electric heater or plug in radiator you can borrow. Then use it to heat one room - the bedroom is probably best - and try to live mostly in that room until the issue is sorted.

Anotherparkingthread · 07/01/2025 03:55

I had this happen when I was living in some dump in a random city years and years ago.

What type of key card is it? Look on the list on their website, I think it's payzone or pay point or something. They have a lost of stores and a map that shows that certain top up points also stock brand new cards. The energy company will call them and get them to issue you a new key card. You then just pair it to your meter. Call the energy company back and have them do this. Where I lived there was lots of 24 hours convenience shops selling mostly booze but they did do the electric and gas cards too at any hour of the day. - this is assuming the card is broken and not an issue with the meter.

endofthelinefinally · 07/01/2025 03:58

Are you renting? If you are, your LL has to provide a heater.
Can you purchase a plug in heater anywhere? Those oil filled plug in radiators are reasonably priced and very efficient. Then you could heat one room.

Anotherparkingthread · 07/01/2025 03:59

https://storelocator.payzone.co.uk/

Here, type in your postcode and look for stores that list "key and card services" in a box as one of their services. Click it to see if they offer it for your gas supplier.

Store Locator

https://storelocator.payzone.co.uk

scotchbonnet79 · 07/01/2025 04:07

If your off service an engineer should come out ASAP and apply emergency credit. They should have arranged a new card, , they just need to provide you with a RTI code. You then collect it from a nearby payzone. It will then need to be registered. You then go home, register it in the machine and then go and top up. Also look to swap over to a smart meter that you can top up online.

Poppyseeds79 · 07/01/2025 04:08

You can still top up and get a 16 digit code to input into your meter

Garlicnorth · 07/01/2025 04:08

Your electricity's working because you've topped it up. Gas and electricity are completely different, you can't get gas by topping up the electric.

You don't need an engineer. You just need to top up your gas payment. Follow @Anotherparkingthread's advice to find a shop that can sort a card for you. You'll need your gas account number.

EdithBond · 07/01/2025 04:35

Speak to them again first thing tomorrow and ask how to top up without a card.

I used to live in a place without heating back in the day and have camped in really cold conditions. Wear as many layers as possible in bed (even hats). Hot water bottles really help if you can boil a kettle, but realise you may not have any for tonight. Warm milk (with added chocolate powder or Horlicks) may help more than coffee.

To stay warm in the day (though not while you sleep due to fire) the old flowerpot and candle trick helps. People who live on boats or in vans still use it:

Topsyturvy78 · 07/01/2025 04:35

You usually collect a new card from a local shop. Has the card broken off in the meter? You can top up online but think you need to have a smart meter to do it.

321user123 · 07/01/2025 04:50

endofthelinefinally · 07/01/2025 03:58

Are you renting? If you are, your LL has to provide a heater.
Can you purchase a plug in heater anywhere? Those oil filled plug in radiators are reasonably priced and very efficient. Then you could heat one room.

This is wrong. This is nothing to do with the LL as nothing in the flat broke.
This is 100% to do with the supplier.

OP as someone else mentioned
You need what we call a blank card. It’s often given for new tenants/home owners where the old one is unavailable and there’s no time to get a new one.

A white lie that could get people out of a pickle is to say that there’s a child under 2 in the property 🫠

caringcarer · 07/01/2025 05:14

Buy a cheap electric fan heater. They warm it up quite quickly.

LittleMissLateForWorkAgain · 07/01/2025 05:19

We were left without heating for two weeks one winter when the boiler broke down as "not a priority " thankfully my council have got better now!

There are little fan heaters I got from amazon for about £15 each one for each of us. They warm things up quickly but can kill your electric (also on meters).

Or ask on nextdoor etc if you have it. The day I got my little heaters delivered someone offered me the loan of some.

Hot water bottles, hot drinks, warm clothes and hats (we lived in our coats) do help.
Also thick blankets.

I know how miserable being cold is and hope they sort it out soon.

Cariadm · 07/01/2025 05:47

OneBrightAzureBiscuit · 07/01/2025 03:11

Hi, hope you all well. I just need some advice please. So me and my partner have a gas card for gas , same for electric. Anyways, our gas card broke and apparently an engineer was meant to come out for like 4 days. Anyways, we called them tonight after I had a massive asthma attack due to the freezing cold in the flat & the woman on the line said nothing could be done tonight. Yet the helpline is 24/7?

we are absolutely freezing in the flat- we have no heating or hot water BUT we have electric cos it’s a separate mains or something like that? So we do have a kettle, lights, oven etc.
just looking for advice on what to do and tips for staying warm immediately tonight. British Gas won’t help us at all, surely they have some sort of duty of care? The woman sounded shocked when we told her it’s been 4 days with no heat but yet wouldn’t help us. Any tips please?
we have been layering with blankets and drinking coffee&soup x

Buy a cheap electric fan heater from Asda or Argos and move it around the flat with you whichever room you're in at one time...even if you keep the thermostat low it's still the best and quickest way to get good instant heat right where you want it! 🥵

stayathomer · 07/01/2025 05:50

No help do you now but definitely buy even a cheap electric plug in heater for times such as these. Hope it gets sorted out quickly op

Livenlearn · 07/01/2025 06:00

You can buy one of these from Argos - Daewoo Branded Convector Heater 2000w - White https://amzn.eu/d/4wb3T1E
Click and collect, we keep one of these for emergency of boiler breakdowns. Also, the hot water bag and dressing up in layers. Buying an electric blanket as well.

Daewoo Branded Convector Heater 2000w - White : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

Daewoo Branded Convector Heater 2000w - White : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

https://amzn.eu/d/4wb3T1E?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-am-i-being-unreasonable-5246748-left-to-freeze

aphroditeflighty · 07/01/2025 06:35

Definitely get an electric blanket (either one to wrap around you but preferably for your bed). If you're really feeling the cold, jumping into a bed with the blanket set to max will warm you up quickly, and it's very cheap on electricity. If you have a better budget, than an electric heater is a great solution. I have a portable butane gas heater which is great, and heats instantly.

ClydeBank · 07/01/2025 07:16

send an email to their media department. Link them to this thread. Tell them you are emailing local and national media but out of courtesy you are emailing them first.

it is remarkable how companies resolve situations with speed when they are facing the prospect of negative publicity.

Ginmonkeyagain · 07/01/2025 07:51

Call Citizen's Advice on the number in this link and tell them you have no gas and therefore no heating. They can speak directly to British Gas and help sort it out. www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue-energy/

JoyeuxNarwhal · 07/01/2025 07:53

Have you got somewhere else to go? Friend/family you can stay with? While you're waiting for it to be sorted out.