Immersion hot water...why would wiring be removed?

[Ambivalence]

Survey on house I'm buying states that immersion hot water tank has had wiring to it removed...surveyor can't explain why except that maybe the used the circuit for something else..but new electrical unit has spare circuits in it, so that doesn't make sense.

Surveyor says I could get it reconnected for about £100.

Seller ( an ex estate agent who buys properties to do up and sell and seems to not know about the property ) is claiming it works but she has just switched it off and my surveyor is wrong ( but she has never lived in property and lies about other things)
Anyone have any idea how bad this is? How expensive to rectify? Am considering asking for it to be reinstated before exchange..is this worth doing?
Many thanks

A hot water cylinder can usuallt be heated by a gas boiler, and has an electric element (or two) as backuop for when the boiler is out of action. Electricity is much more expensive than gas.

The cable used for an electric immersion heater is usually about enough to run an electric socket for multiple light loads, or one heavy load such as an electric heater. If the bathroom does not have sufficient heating they might have diverted the circuit for a wall heater. Or they might have used it for a socket in the loft, say, or a shower pump. The circuit will not be able to run an immersion heater plus a socket.

If the vendor claims it still works, ask for it to be demonstrated on your next viewing (if you are still interested).

A surveyor can make a mistake, but has nothing to gain from deliberately deceiving you. A vendor, however....

Thanks very much piglet John. I don't think the surveyor I'd mistaken here as the first surveyor didn't the report then retired days later and so his boss met me in the property to answer queries and both saidwiring to immerse wiring to immersion heater has been removed.

Seller is lying about it. I think in the hope I won't check. ..I viewed for 30 minutes at an open house and property is empty so she's hoping I won't view again...I have been back for an hour with surveyor.

Would it be reasonable to then insist this wiring is replaced before exchange of contracts?

Do you have any idea how much it would cost for me to have this fixed myself?

There are a few other repairs ( to the poor quality works seller's builder has done ) which I am asking are done before exchange. Seller won't knock money off for these repairs but surveyor said problem with her builder doing the repairs is he didn't do it properly to start with. ..

Seems likely they cut immersion heater wires and used that circuit for the pump for new electric shower then....thank you so much piglet John. .