EE have drilled through gas pipe in installation of Fiber optic broadband.

[StoleniPhone]

Ordered Fiber optic broadband from EE. They came to install it this morning and have accidentally cut through gas pipe. Currently got a gas engineer here repairing pipe.

They have cut a hole in the plasterboard wall to repair damaged gas pipe.
I imagine that they will patch plasterboard wall.

Wondering if I should complain and ask for them to cover cost of redecorating the damaged plasterboard wall? If so, should I complain to EE or Open reach. I ordered Fiber optic broadband from EE but Open reach are doing the work.

Of course you should complain! Start with Open Reach as they are doing the installation.

I would complain to EE. Your contract is with them and Open Reach are working on their behalf.

Take photos of damage and ask Gas engineer for a copy of a report

Awful experience. So scary when the gas was pouring out.

Yes, that's what I was thinking!

Fuck sake! How scary! Did you have to evacuate?
That's really incompetent, definitely complain and make sure you get their responses in writing to refer back to if they choose to change their mind later on the redecorating costs

Good idea. Thank you!

You complain to whoever you contracted to get the broadband installed. They're responsible. If they've sub-contracted the work to another firm, then that's their problem, not yours. They compensate you, and in turn claim compensation from their contractor. You can't claim directly to firm who damaged it because you have no contract with them.

How much redecorating are you expecting to do?
If you've got wallpaper that they've ripped off and you can't get replacement wallpaper so need to redecorate the whole room then fair enough, they should pay handsomely. But if it requires a bit of patch painting after they've plastered, then it's hardly a big job and a £50 sorry we f*cked up gesture would be all I'd be after.
My DS has just had his gas central heating replaced including moving gas pipes and radiators plus complete new pipework and there's very little paint patching to do, so can't imagine there's much if yours is only in one place.

There is currently a hole about 4 inches by about 12 inches in plasterboard wall. It remains to be seen whether they will leave it like this.

@StoleniPhone Obviously if they don't re- plaster then they'll need to pay for you to get that done. But DS's plumber did all the small plaster repairs himself.

What an awful thing to happen!

If it helps, about 18yrs ago I had wall insulation installed (yes, I know...!) in a 1913 house. Because I had an open fire, they had to install a vent.

I was wfh at the time, heard a yell, went downstairs to find one of the young installers in tears because a load of the internal plaster had fallen off. I still feel sorry for him!

Anyway, that was a wallpapered room, the paper was no longer available, so they let me choose new paper and they fixed the wall and redecorated. So, don't worry! Just tell them you need to claim on their insurance to rectify the damage - claim from EE, that is.

Omg! How awful 😮

Apparently a plasterer will be sent out. The contractor has said He will restore paintwork as well.

Even if the wall is ‘just painted’ I’d expect the whole wall to be repainted.
just patching the area that’s been damaged won’t look good and will be obvious where the damage is.
doesn’t mean the whole room has to be repainted but I’d fully expect that the wall would be.

Thanks! I asked them to repaint whole wall as agree that it will be obvious if they just repaint one small bit, especially if they don't get an exact colour match. They have agreed, so fingers crossed it all works out 🤞🤞🤞🤞

I was going to complain to EE, but I guess if they put back the wall to it's original condition, that's as good as its going to get.

Listen to ‘The Gas Man Cometh’ by Flanders and Swan.

Just listened to it. Hysterical!