So I'm in local lockdown area...

[november90]

... and our boilers just packed in. It's cold and I have a 3 month baby. I'm not in a bubble as live with family and not allowed in anyone else's house! Bloomin great! Can't wait for a freezing shower later! Home serve out "within the next few days"......

There's no point to this thread other then to complain!!! If anyone else wants to complain about something feel free 🤦🏼‍♀️

I'm sure with a baby this would be circumstances to allow a stay in another house?

I'm sorry OP Totally rubbish I also would have thought with baby they would prioritise visit

I think it's fine too, doesn't care of someone vulnerable trump everything else?

Have you informed them that you have a young baby at home? I remember it being casually mentioned in a phone call that I had a young baby and they made a note of it to make call outs quicker.

Does Homeserve know you have a baby in the house?

Do you have a switch for an immersion heater on a hot water tank?

When we redid a bathroom, we explicitly asked for an electric shower, because we'd had the boiler go the previous winter, and an ice cold shower was miserable!

I'd absolutely be asking friends/family whether you could stay with them. I do think the rules are important, but some situations need to be considered as extenuating circumstances, and having a baby in a cold house is one of those.

If not someone's house, a hotel maybe, or a cheap B&B?

Honestly I'd just go to stay at a family or friends house. 3 month old baby is little to have no heating or hot water. Let alone how grim it is for you.

The fact you have a baby should make you a priority.

I thought even at the worst point of lockdown that exceptions could be made for emergencies. This for me would definitely be covered by that.

I’d also ring homecare back and tell them that a few days is not an acceptable wait with such a young baby at home, they usually come out fairly quickly to households with young children or elderly residents.

Surely this counts as an emergency, especially considering you have a young baby. I think it’s completely acceptable to stay somewhere else in your circumstances.

Contact HomeServe and let them know you have a small baby, I was on the priority system when mine were under 5.

In the meantime can you get hold of any alternative heating, free pages, sometimes even the fire service loan them.

With baby, layer up, it is cold but not freezing weather yet, but after all many of us grew up in houses without central heating (my mil still doesn't) . You lots of jumpers and blankets.

The hot water is a bit pants, but it will have to be hot kettles and strip washes I'm afraid.

That's an emergency with a three month old baby - you're definitely allowed emergency repair work.

Pre-pandemic, but when this happened to my friend she was given priority as they have an adult child with Down’s Syndrome. They had someone out later the same day.

Go to a friends, it's an emergency. The authorities aren't out to catch people in your circumstances

Oh thank you all for all the replies, so lovely, I didn't expect it 🤗❤️
I have a very small circle and don't really have many people to and to go round and shower and the ones I would ask are shielding/acting like they're shielding and wouldn't let me in! So anyway I've got the portable radiator in our bedroom and I had a cold shower and warmed myself up with the hairdryer 🙈 My Dad spoke to them and they're going to ring me tomorrow.... please keep your fingers crosssed for me ☃️

During the national lockdown we were in the same situation. Boiler went on the Friday and we couldn’t get it fixed until the Monday- 5 year old and 3 month old at the time. Honestly it’s shit but just suck it up- fill the kettle and boil the kettle multiple times to fill up a very shallow bath and take turns in washing in that. That’s what we did!

But surely it's for work purposes? So workmen can enter your home? I had an electrician and a plumber in first lockdown
Obvs SD, offer hand san and all that but should be fine imo

Ignore that sorry 🙄

Is your shower electric? Our boiler packed in at the start of the year when DS was a similar age. It was a riot. Luckily the shower is electric so was still hot. We had an electric heater which we used through the day in the living room. We did everything in that room for the wee one so he wouldn't be anywhere cold. Then at night one of us took the heater up to the bedroom and heated it, once it was warm we moved up with DS. As far as drying clothing we had a clothes airer in the living room so we could dry baby clothes. It took just over a week to get it fitted and that was with the guys working on a Sunday for us to get it in ASAP.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1010/contents
See reg 6A which has the exemptions to the ban on gatherings. There's an exemption where the gathering is reasonably necessary to provide emergency assistance. If you're struggling to keep your baby warm enough, surely that would fall within the exemption? (Though if Covid rates high in your area, obviously need to weigh up Covid risk before going into someone else's house. )