council/Ha advise heating

vippymini

Dont know if theres anyone out there that can advise but here goes..

we been offered a larger house which we really like the only problem we got with it it has no gas at present...

i have asked the h/a about getting gas and they are saying no as they are going to replace the old storage heating with new storage heating.

while we were there looking at it yesterday we found a capped gas point so its got a gas main:) we told them this and they said they are upgrading people to storage heating so now confused... and to have a meter fitted it would be 6 mths...

well i have just phoned british gas and found i could arrange a live dead check today and if its live i can get a meter fitted in 8 working days if its dead then 10 weeks ...

i said ill comprermise if they not doing central heating weather they can get gas to the kitchin as i really dont want to sell my big range cooker that i spent years saving for

any advise much appricated it might be a case that i got speak to my mp again

jrrowleyws

Suely you should appreciate the facts:

-Your getting a bigger house
-Its actually got heating and they are renewing it.

If central heating is really your dream.. buy a house then you can demand what you want.

Cant please some people :mad:

vippymini

to be honest i will take storage heating if i have too as long as theres gas for the cooker as i cannot afford to replace my cooker..

at present i cant see it costing them any different the house hase got to be completly re wired the old boy been in there from when it was built and its not been modenised. The current storage heating is all 1960's so whole lot is being pulled out and replaced for new....

to be honest i will take storage heating if i have too as long as theres gas for the cooker as i cannot afford to replace my cooker..

pinkshoes

Well, you seem to have 2 choices:

1) BIGGER house, with new electric heating system but no gas

2) Keep your current house, but have gas.

The queues to get a council/HA house are huge, so you should be thankful you have one, and be extra thankful they are offering you a bigger one!!

If you don't want it, then turn it down and let someone else have it. You have to decide what you want most - more space or a big range cooker. You could easily afford a new electric cooker if you sold the range.

topmum

Hi

Who have you spoken to at the HA about this? It may be that you need to speak with someone more senior? I am sure it is something that is possible to be done. If you still get a no you could offer to pay some of the cost and meet them half way? Ask how much the storage heating costs compared to the gas set up and installation. Just try and reason with them and dont shout or get worked up you will stand a better chance of getting somewhere with them.

vippymini

hi we are speaking to them and slowly getting somewhere...so fingers crossed it will be sorted monday

vippymini

pinkshoes wrote: »

If you don't want it, then turn it down and let someone else have it. You have to decide what you want most - more space or a big range cooker. You could easily afford a new electric cooker if you sold the range.

only reason i have a large cooker is cause i have a young family and use it to full usage, ...

poppyscorner

Hi There I think you should stick to your guns and get them to put the gas in I can't honestly see what difference it will make to them to do it.
It is going to be your home and you will have to pay the electric bill for the heating.
If you get no joy then go to your MP. I live in a council house and I work full time pay my full rent however my neighbours don't work nothing wrong with him but the wife CLAIMS to have a disability can't move arms and legs deosn't seem to affect her digging up the garden for days on end but hey I'm not judging.
Anyway they don't pay rent and yet these people have had the whole whack of improvements to their home new heating system (nothing wrong with the old one they just wanted a combi bolier and he told me today they got it by claiming the cold was affecting his wife though it wasnt and dr wrote to housing new heating was installed the week after)
Sorry I know I have gone on a bit but just wanted to say stick at it and get as much support as you can

Good luck with the move
Poppy

Elle00

You've been offered an UPGRADE? In HERTFORDSHIRE? Where are you living? I currently live in a 2 bed flat that charges £650 a month rent which my salary and TC's hardly cover. It isn't safe for my child because he isn't old enough to know not to touch the heater and boiler cupboard but I am not allowed to childproof them with any permenant fixtures so he sometimes pulls away my temporary measures and injures himself. Also, I believe the windows are illegal because they are low level, don't lock and swing right open and yet this is a relatively new build (in last decade at least). But still they won't offer me even a solution to work towards regarding permenant or even affordable rented social housing but more fool me for vacating my hostel and getting a job huh?!

That's not a dig at you OP I am just upset with the situation in general as are so many people. We all need to remember it's down to the government and councils to sort out the situation of affordable housing for all and we shouldn't take it out on individuals who've been lucky enough to get a house. It's not their fault and we don't know their individual circumstances either.

I guess OP that you could approach your local MP if all else fails. Even though my MP hasn't actually acheived anything on my behalf to date - he replies to all correspondence and will make calls and write letters on my behalf where asked to and this gets long procedures dealt with much quicker usually. An MP has much more levy with these kinds of issues and if you can put forward a genuine argument for having gas installed over electric he may be able to help.

I too would love to have gas over electric but that said, if it's cost you're worried about and not just the cooker then just remember to be shrewd come winter. I did alright last year with my storage heaters by doing things like heating the room for half an hour before bed then switching it off etc. If you've got a big house then look at draft excluders etc too. Hope you work something out and enjoy your new home x.

vippymini

poppyscorner wrote: »

Hi There I think you should stick to your guns and get them to put the gas in I can't honestly see what difference it will make to them to do it.
It is going to be your home and you will have to pay the electric bill for the heating.
If you get no joy then go to your MP. I live in a council house and I work full time pay my full rent however my neighbours don't work nothing wrong with him but the wife CLAIMS to have a disability can't move arms and legs deosn't seem to affect her digging up the garden for days on end but hey I'm not judging.
Anyway they don't pay rent and yet these people have had the whole whack of improvements to their home new heating system (nothing wrong with the old one they just wanted a combi bolier and he told me today they got it by claiming the cold was affecting his wife though it wasnt and dr wrote to housing new heating was installed the week after)
Sorry I know I have gone on a bit but just wanted to say stick at it and get as much support as you can

Good luck with the move
Poppy

Thank u for your support , i have got to arrange the gas people to come in and see if its a live supply , im just concerned how much it will cost to rum on storage heaters and its a nice house and i dont want t end up not being able to pay the bills.... hubby works full time but low paid and we get the normal tax credits but nothing else.. hopefully we will get something sorted.:D

poppyscorner

Elle83 wrote: »

You've been offered an UPGRADE? In HERTFORDSHIRE? Where are you living? I currently live in a 2 bed flat that charges £650 a month rent which my salary and TC's hardly cover. It isn't safe for my child because he isn't old enough to know not to touch the heater and boiler cupboard but I am not allowed to childproof them with any permenant fixtures so he sometimes pulls away my temporary measures and injures himself. Also, I believe the windows are illegal because they are low level, don't lock and swing right open and yet this is a relatively new build (in last decade at least). But still they won't offer me even a solution to work towards regarding permenant or even affordable rented social housing but more fool me for vacating my hostel and getting a job huh?!

That's not a dig at you OP I am just upset with the situation in general as are so many people. We all need to remember it's down to the government and councils to sort out the situation of affordable housing for all and we shouldn't take it out on individuals who've been lucky enough to get a house. It's not their fault and we don't know their individual circumstances either.

I guess OP that you could approach your local MP if all else fails. Even though my MP hasn't actually acheived anything on my behalf to date - he replies to all correspondence and will make calls and write letters on my behalf where asked to and this gets long procedures dealt with much quicker usually. An MP has much more levy with these kinds of issues and if you can put forward a genuine argument for having gas installed over electric he may be able to help.

I too would love to have gas over electric but that said, if it's cost you're worried about and not just the cooker then just remember to be shrewd come winter. I did alright last year with my storage heaters by doing things like heating the room for half an hour before bed then switching it off etc. If you've got a big house then look at draft excluders etc too. Hope you work something out and enjoy your new home x.

Elle 83 thats terrible I really feel for you you must feel like you have been kicked in the teeth. Who provides the housing is it council/ha or private you must worry about your lo everyday I have two sons one age 4 1/2 and the other aged 13weeks the 4 1/2 yr old I keep his window locked at all times because they are naturally inquisitive and climbs all over the windowsill he used to have a roller blind in his window but had to get rid the day he almost hung himself with the string pull.
Don't really know what to say but keep on at them I know it wears you down after a while have you thought of speaking to your hv about it.
Tell her how worried you are and how unsafe it is my hv is the only one who has managed to get any action on my behalf and when she wrote the letter they moved quickly.
Would be lovely to have the luxury of being able to buy or own house and not have to rely on council but its £100,000 for a two bed terrace here that needs lots of improvements and we can raise just over half of that by mortgage don't think we will ever be homeowners.
Anyway good luck
Poppy