Without heating/hot water and cooker for 4 days

[Ahhh1234]

From 10.30 this morning my gas was switched off as they think I have a dodgy boiler. British gas did this. My landlords sub contractor is saying they can't fit me in until Monday. So 4 days Without! I have a 16 month old so on emergency. Where do I stand on this?

I’d ask CAB but they can’t except you to live without heating for 4 days, especially with a young child. Google might give you some answers too.

Does your landlord realise you have a young baby?

Has the landlord provided you with some form of heating in the meantime? Such as fan heaters?

You can boil up water for hot water, but heating is different

Yea they know I have a young child and no they haven't provided me with anything. It's a housing association who is my landlord. I've contacted environmental health in my council. They are calling me back tomorrow. Just wanted to see if anyone knew anything?

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Could you check your HAs website for their repairs and maintenance policy - that should give you a good starting point? Many of them include what to expect and what their priorities are with repairs, etc. Usually there are slightly different timescales for summer and winter.

Has this definitely been logged with your HA repairs and maintenance team as an urgent repair?

The Shelter website also contains some information on HA repairs responsibilities: england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/repairs_and_maintenance_in_council_and_housing_association_homes

Do you have power/electric? Could you borrow an electric heater and kettle?

Ok thanks. Yes I have power and a kettle

While I can see it’s inconvenient, if the guys are booked up until Monday then that is that and I don’t really see what else they can do - it’s only a couple of working days.

My boiler died last year and without the benefit of a landlord and housing association to bump us up the queues with all the boiler engineers we waited three weeks. You should be able to manage with electric and a kettle for a few days surely?

Hahaha. We don't even HAVE any heating where I live (rural village) just a fire. You'll live

Thanks for your useful and helpful comments! It's freezing! Young children and the elderly are priorities for a reason. 4 days without gas is bad!

We had this last weekend, boiler broke Friday and parts were not ready till Monday

Whilst it was inconvenient with 2 stinky teens in the house the temperature barely dropped to 16 degrees overnight and rose to 18+ during the day

Teen DS even had a 4 inch bath curtesy of 4 kettles of water

Can you borrow a plug in heater from anyone? Wear extra layers? It’s only 4 days and at least it’s happened before the dead of winter when it’s freezing and plumbers are hard to get

It’s really not freezing.

It’s only a couple of generations back people didn’t have heating at all, or windows that closed and sealed properly.

Put some more clothes on for a few days or get an electric heater from somewhere.

Looking for legal advice after a couple of days without a boiler is a bit grabby to be honest

I wasn't looking for legal advice for money! I was asking so I could get them out sooner for my D'S.
How do you know how cold it is in my house? I'm sorry if you don't have helpful advice, don't comment

Have you actually contacted your HA? You need to let them know. If the boiler really cannot be fixed before four days, then they ought to be providing you with an alternative heat source.

Op hasn’t got the luxury of choice to phone around for an engineer who can attend today or tomorrow, she’s stuck with what the HA contractor will offer.

OP, make sure the HA know you are not happy with 4 days with a baby in the house. They should be providing you with an alternate heat source, although not unreasonable to expect you to manage with boiling water and no bath/shower for the weekend.

I really hope it gets sorted ASAP.
We currently have no heating as our flat is being renovated, so I picked up a really good fan heater from amazon, Dimplex Convector Heater 2kw for £34. Heats up a room within 10 mins and maintains a good temperature. Would highly recommend this as a short term alternative/emergency back up.

Thanks saucery and user I'll have to look into some heaters. It's 15 degrees atm and will drop lower tonight. Just annoyed i haven't been offered at least a heater from them in the mean time. I wish I could get my own engineer out, unfortunately I can't. My mum has let me use her cooker until I get mine back thankfully.

Glad you have a source of power to cook meals, at least, although probably a faff transporting it from your Mum’s!
Has the boiler been regularly serviced? It really shouldn’t have a condemned notice slapped on it by BG if it has. Might be something you need to chase up with the HA when the immediate problem has been sorted.
Candles can help make a room cosy, if it’s safe to light them. If you get a heater it’s surprising how much heat they can put out and there’s the psychological effect of the glow and warmth too. We don’t have a working fire in our living room, just a radiator and I regularly light a couple of the pillar candles to add a bit of cosy.

British gas usually give you a fan heater if you are one of their customers: perhaps he didn't have any left on the van.
How grim for you.
Fan heater (£15) from argos will do the job), snuggle under blankets on the sofa. Extra blankets on the beds (or a few thick towels: warm bedding and a cold nose while sleeping is actually quite good for you).Standing wash rather than baths (unless you have an electric shower).
You have a kettle: what about a microwave and toaster?

Have a library day tomorrow: spend the whole day looking at books/doing crafts at your local library in the warm!

It’s only a couple of generations back people didn’t have heating at all, or windows that closed and sealed properly

Seriously?

You choose to live in the dark ages therefore everyone else should

It's not advisable to leave heating on overnight anyway, so I wouldn't worry about overnight temperature.
Do you live in Scotland op?

Legally, if you have a kettle and power, I believe obligations are fulfilled - there’s a very rough argument that you could expect them to provide a heater but I’ve never seen it win, so it’s really a moot point.

Four days isn’t too bad; although it’ll feel awful at the moment. I hope it passes quickly!

Monday has arrived. Called them to see when they would arrived. Between 8 and 12 they said. Now 1.15 and still not here. Been on the phone 30 mins. Still not through to them.

I saw on their Facebook page people saying they were left 30 days without gas. I'm really worried. Any suggestion what I can do now?

My son is in a coat and 2 blankets bless his heart!!

It's quite cold up here in Scotland. Really not a good idea to be without heat. I'd get in contact with Shelter. The no hot water would be awful. We have a power shower, but plenty of people were last week telling someone to boil pans of water. That would be freezing up here and not get you very clean.