Living with no heating and hot water?

GoneWithTheWindFabulous

Congrats on your pregnancy! Hope you get things sorted soon

lazer

johnandkymberley wrote: »

Hiya all,

I've rang the letting agency and they've assured me someone will get back to me with a solution. I got quite stressed on the phone. I said I'm sorry as I know it's not your fault but I can't have a bath.

He also said its a basic living requirement and that legally he can't leave us without heating and hot water - so being wimps has nothing to do with it.

I'm going to see if I can find a number for enviromental health now
Thanks
Xx

The plumber is back on Friday, that's only 3 days - if landlord is selling no one is going to buy it without the boiler working, so he does need to fix for himself anyway.


For the sake of a few days put on an extra jumper, snuggle up and use the hot water bottle.


I am assuming you don't have an electric shower - is this correct?


My heating broke last week, don't know what is wrong with is, husband is an electrician, but is working away at the minute and will be home later in the week and hopefully the fault is electrical, so he can fix it. So I am living without heating too - so I know what it is like.


I have a fan heater (Have had for years for situations like this, and until 7 years ago my parents lived in a house with no central heating - so they had a few electric heaters and now I have some of them!) available but haven't even plugged it in yet.


I do however have a fire - but I haven't even been lighting it every day, and the days I have lit it, didn't light it to about 8pm so it would last all night


I have a hot water bottle in bed, warm clothes, and a blanket to snuggle under on the sofa.


I do have an electric immersion heater too, although not using it, as showering in the gym in the mornings anyway.




I recommend you buy some form of electric heater - always good to have an emergency back up
The only real reason I miss the heat is to dry clothes!

Mardle

Use the fire. If it had been unsafe to use you would have been told not to use it by the plumber.

We had no heating or hot water for 7 weeks Oct-Dec a few years ago when a pipe burst under the living room floor. Initially we used the gas fire to keep that room warm. After it became obvious it wasn't going to be fixed quickly our LL supplied 2 oil filled heaters for us so we could get the kitchen & upstairs warmer. We did have an electric shower but a cold bathroom! We were cut off by snow the day after the heating was fixed.

Jagraf

Mardle wrote: »

Use the fire. If it had been unsafe to use you would have been told not to use it by the plumber.

We had no heating or hot water for 7 weeks Oct-Dec a few years ago when a pipe burst under the living room floor. Initially we used the gas fire to keep that room warm. After it became obvious it wasn't going to be fixed quickly our LL supplied 2 oil filled heaters for us so we could get the kitchen & upstairs warmer. We did have an electric shower but a cold bathroom! We were cut off by snow the day after the heating was fixed.

Sounds like fun, making me cold just thinking about it.

Cisco001

johnandkymberley wrote: »

So what can I do? I'm living without basics? I can't even wash the pots in hot water or have a bath?

Water => Kettle => pour to sink => wash

Peter333

Elsewhere wrote: »

I can't believe what wimps people are these days. We had no central heating at all when I was a child - a coal fire in the living room and paraffin heaters taken to other rooms when necessary. A hot water bottle in bed.

In the winter of '63 the only tap that worked was one in the road fed from a spring and the toilet outlet froze up! The snow started on Boxing day and melted in March.
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giraffe69 wrote: »

Posting how brave you were back in '63 is not all that helpful.

I'd certainly contact Environmental Health and put pressure on the landlord anyway I could but I'd also use the gas fire to help a bit.

roobee13 wrote: »

And this is helpful to the OP how? It's not 1963 anymore.

OP - glad the agency were helpful, fingers crossed it gets fixed soon. I know it's not ideal but are you a member of a gym or have showers at work you could use in the interim? Or nice neighbours??

I agree with quoted posts 2 & 3. There is always SOMEONE who comes along and states how much more tough things were back in the day, and how much more resilient they were. It's not helpful, and it's annoying.

I remember the days with no central heating, and frost on the inside of the windows, and yes I did put up with it, (or should I say I 'survived' it,) because there were no other options! But even though went through those tough, dark days of no central heating: I still can't stand a house with no central heating or hot water now! We don't have it on a lot, but it's nice to have the option!!!

Maybe 'elsewhere' would like to go and suck his gravy off his tablecloth now.

Oh and don't ever think that agents work for you! They work for the LANDLORD. The tenant is ALWAYS second best.

Hope you get it sorted OP. If not, complain to the council. You have that right. You are paying good money in rent, so you are entitled to have a decent liveable property. The landlord would soon whinge if you stopped paying your rent!

beecher2

It shouldn't be the end of the world to be without heating at the moment - it is still relatively mild. I don't have my heating on at all as yet. If you feel the cold more than most, then buy a cheap heater and a water bottle. As for hot water, boil a kettle to do your washing up!

lazer

Peter333 wrote: »

I agree with quoted posts 2 & 3. There is always SOMEONE who comes along and states how much more tough things were back in the day, and how much more resilient they were. It's not helpful, and it's annoying.

I remember the days with no central heating, and frost on the inside of the windows, and yes I did put up with it, (or should I say I 'survived' it,) because there were no other options! But even though went through those tough, dark days of no central heating: I still can't stand a house with no central heating or hot water now! We don't have it on a lot, but it's nice to have the option!!!

Maybe 'elsewhere' would like to go and suck his gravy off his tablecloth now.

Oh and don't ever think that agents work for you! They work for the LANDLORD. The tenant is ALWAYS second best.

Hope you get it sorted OP. If not, complain to the council. You have that right. You are paying good money in rent, so you are entitled to have a decent liveable property. The landlord would soon whinge if you stopped paying your rent!

You have no right to central heating - you have a right to heating, a gas fire and a couple of electric heaters would do this.


PS - it is not only the 60's when there was no central heating - my parents (and me until I moved out to university in 2001) had no Central heating until they moved house in 2007.


I hated central heating found it stuffy and dry when I first moved into a house with it. Still prefer an open fire to radiators to this day!

Jagraf

lazer wrote: »

You have no right to central heating - you have a right to heating, a gas fire and a couple of electric heaters would do this.


PS - it is not only the 60's when there was no central heating - my parents (and me until I moved out to university in 2001) had no Central heating until they moved house in 2007.


I hated central heating found it stuffy and dry when I first moved into a house with it. Still prefer an open fire to radiators to this day!

Surely you have a right to what you have signed up for in your tenancy agreement, things do go wrong, but there is a duty of care.

We have both central heating and an open fire. I too love an open fire but its a bit of a pain when you are out all day at work, and it is no substitute for central heating when that's what you've signed up for.

What heating did your parents have?