Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Can you stay with family if no heating or hot water?

147 replies

IsabelleSE19 · 05/02/2021 17:08

Our boiler has conked out and won't be replaced for another five days. At least four of those days are forecast to be temperatures around freezing. Is it reasonable to stay with family members until then? (They have a self-contained outbuilding, and no, I am not Dominic Cummings.) It is about a two and half hour drive from us. Government guidance says you can stay away from home if you have a reasonable excuse, but our situation is not really described in the list of those excuses. The closest one is 'if you are unable to return to your main residence', but that's not really accurate either. WWYD?

OP posts:
ChocOrange1 · 05/02/2021 17:11

Yes definitely

SnowmanDrinkingSnowballs · 05/02/2021 17:12

I guess you could but don’t you have any fall back solutions? We have an open fire, several oil filled electric radiators and fan heaters. We would just manage with these and hot water bottles tbh.

ChocOrange1 · 05/02/2021 17:14

Would you just not wash for 5 days @SnowmanDrinkingSnowballs or have cold showers in winter?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 05/02/2021 17:17

I would. Pandemic or not I wouldn't be staying in a house with no heating or hot water in freezing weather.

@SnowmanDrinkingSnowballs, not everyone has all that. If my boiler packed up I have one small oil filled radiator that I use to heat the shed. I have nowhere to store radiators or fan heaters and to be honest it's never occurred to me that I needed a second heating system! Also if the boiler packed up I wouldn't be able to shower so I'd be off at the first opportunity!

kirktonhouse · 05/02/2021 17:18

@ChocOrange1

Would you just not wash for 5 days *@SnowmanDrinkingSnowballs* or have cold showers in winter?
Is it beyond the realms of possibility that they can boil a kettle for hot water to wash in? And/or boil a few pans of water for a bath?

Ask on facebook, people have electric heaters and gas fires to borrow. Electric blankets are fab, or warm the bed with hairdryer before you get in.

McCheney73 · 05/02/2021 17:20

Its meant to be really cold this weekend do it.

Kotbullar · 05/02/2021 17:21

I'd probably just suck it up tbh my parents don't have central heating anyway. It seems a long way to go for a shower.

I'm probably in the minority though. SIL decamped to PILs when there boiler was out for a day.

CarryOnPlainHunting · 05/02/2021 17:25

I would in your shoes.

daisypond · 05/02/2021 17:26

To be honest, I’d stay put and buy or borrow some heaters. This happened to a relative of mine a few weeks ago when it was sub zero, and they borrowed heaters from people and stayed put until the boiler was replaced.

Flower234 · 05/02/2021 17:27

If no one is CEV, there's no way in hell I'd consider freezing my arse off and washing from a kettle for potentially five days, pandemic or no pandemic. This is really one of those situations where it varies wildly depending on if anyone is at risk. If you're all low risk and healthy, I'd 100% go.

Flower234 · 05/02/2021 17:28

I also have medical conditions that mean I can't regulate my body temperature though, so admittedly I am biased as being cold seems to be my ongoing nightmare.

daisypond · 05/02/2021 17:29

Five days isn’t particularly long. You can wash in the sink with a kettle of hot water. There is no way I would travel all that way.

ChocOrange1 · 05/02/2021 17:30

@Flower234

If no one is CEV, there's no way in hell I'd consider freezing my arse off and washing from a kettle for potentially five days, pandemic or no pandemic. This is really one of those situations where it varies wildly depending on if anyone is at risk. If you're all low risk and healthy, I'd 100% go.
True, it depends on risk factors and lifestyle e.g. if you all work from home it's probably different to if half of you are doctors.
daisypond · 05/02/2021 17:32

Heated throws have been a revelation to me this winter!

higglepiggley · 05/02/2021 17:32

You can go
I would

Invisimamma · 05/02/2021 17:33

It's probably fine but 2.5hrs seems a long way, maybe a more local travel lodge would be better option?

We had no heating or hot water for 3 days last week (Scotland so it was cold!) and we managed with portable heaters.

speaksofty · 05/02/2021 17:37

Yes you can also stay at a hotel if you need to.

halcyondays · 05/02/2021 17:45

Wouldn’t fancy going on such a long drive if it’s going to be freezing/snowing/icy.

Even in normal times it wouldn’t occur to us to decamp when the boiler was broken unless we had a young baby, we’ve had boiler issues before and just made do.

We’ve got an open fire, several electric heaters for emergencies, they were about £20 each, and an electric shower. Used to have immersion
Heater but don’t have that since we got gas heating put in.

Aquamarine1029 · 05/02/2021 17:47

I would go. Be sure to leave your taps on with a very slow drip so your pipes don't freeze.

FizzyPepsi · 05/02/2021 17:48

Frankly I'd say suck it up in those circumstances. Putting a jumper on and possibly getting an electric heater are far preferable to travelling hundreds of miles and potentially taking the virus with you.

We should all be asking ourselves- how can I minimise my risk to others? Not what's the most I can do within the rules?

So for example- while we're technically allowed once per day, once a week is perfectly adequate for most people and safer for others.

Equally with bubbles- technically allowed but not really within the spirit of the rules and most people could do without imo.

FizzyPepsi · 05/02/2021 17:49

Frankly I'd say suck it up in those circumstances. Putting a jumper on and possibly getting an electric heater are far preferable to travelling hundreds of miles and potentially taking the virus with you.

We should all be asking ourselves- how can I minimise my risk to others? Not what's the most I can do within the rules?

So for example- while we're technically allowed once per day exercise, once a week is perfectly adequate for most people and safer for others.

Equally with bubbles- technically allowed but not really within the spirit of the rules and most people could do without imo.

Flowersinthewindowstill · 05/02/2021 17:51

It's up to you - I think it's fine if you do go. I did have this situation (though for 3 days, not 5) last weekend. I have a little heater so was able to use that. You might be able to get one Argos/Robert Dyas etc. if you have one nearby. My heater helped but I must say it was still miserable!

Flowersinthewindowstill · 05/02/2021 17:54

@FizzyPepsi Bubbles are not against the spirit of the rules Hmm They were created specifically for people that may be vulnerable or struggling - namely those living alone/single parents.

MadameBlobby · 05/02/2021 17:59

This happened to us in beast from the east a few years ago, we stayed out and just used heaters/the kettle. We couldn’t get in or out our street to go anywhere anyway! Grim. Hope it’s fixed soon.

starfish4 · 05/02/2021 18:03

We were without heating and hot water for a month one winter and we survived, so personally it wouldn't even occur to me to go elsewhere especially at the moment.