where do i stand on my wait for boiler repair??

adybuzz

just looking for some advice.

we pay for a massive energy company monthly to service and look after our boiler when it breaks down. the boiler was due a service so the engineer came to do so, 12 days ago, straight away he saw a problem with the flue, he checked it and told us we couldn't use boiler until part was replaced, so he turned off boiler and capped gas meter.

3 days later they came back with new part, for it to be the wrong one. part re-ordered and 5 days after that they came back, again the part was wrong :mad: . engineer had to wait til Monday to re-re-order the part and talk to manafacturer of the boiler, for part advice. today was when they were going to collect part and come to fix it, then we got a call to say the engineer collected part and knew straight away it was wrong, again :mad::mad: .

we have now escallated it the the complaints team, who have got back to us saying that the part is due in shop tomorrow afternoon and the engineer will collect it and fix our boiler tomorrow afternoon, this is assuming the part gets to shop in time.

once this is done the complaints team will call back to resolve complaint, I assume compensation etc.

so my question is what would you think would be a suitable compensation package? ive not had to do anything like before.
bearing in mind we have had to boil the kettle to get any hot water, for mini baths, washes, washing up. the poor kettle don't know whats hit it!!!:(. also I have no plans of staying with this company as this is not the first time they have taken a long time to carry out repairs.

any advice would be most grateful.

bod1467

I take it your gas supply is used only for heating/hot water, and you don't have a gas oven or hob? And that the boiler is within your property (e.g. kitchen) rather than in a garage?

Did the engineer say what the problem was with the flue? (Not all problems require the unit to be isolated. If there was a significant risk of CO emissions being pushed back into the property then isolation would be mandatory).

adybuzz

it was a CO problem, and its in the kitchen.it is heating and hot water, we have electric oven and hob. i understand why they turned off the boiler and I'm grateful it was found, what i don't understand is how such a massive company could order the part 3 times and it still be wrong and therefore take soooo long to fix it.

i have 2 young children and my wife is registered disabled, and there just seems to be no urgency by the company apart from when i went to the complaints team about it yesterday.

just an update tho, we got a call last night to say that the part wont be delivered til Friday, and that the boiler wont be done til Friday afternoon, that will be 2 weeks with no heating or hot water, the hot water being the main issue at this time of year. and there is no garantees this will be the right one either!!

adybuzz

now my kettle is broke, so now having to buy a new kettle!!!!

wealdroam

adybuzz wrote: »

i have 2 young children and my wife is registered disabled...

Just curious, why do you feel the need to mention these points?

LilElvis

I'm going to assume that this is British Gas. My 80+ year old mother in law (with heart problems) had no heating or hot water from the end of November til the 3rd week in January as a result of BG errors re a repair and subsequent boiler replacement. They gave her £300 as compensation, which didn't even cover the additional electricity costs for running borrowed fan heaters. It would appear age and infirmity don't, therefore, get you more compensation.

pinkshoes

wealdroam wrote: »

Just curious, why do you feel the need to mention these points?

Have you ever tried to bath two kids when you have to use the kettle to get the hot water?? Especially if they get bathed daily as it is part of their bedtime routine!! Very tedious!,

And if the wife is disabled, then perhaps that makes tasks like this much harder??

OP, I would be asking for say £50 credit against your bill if that is a possibility?

wealdroam

pinkshoes wrote: »

Have you ever tried to bath two kids when you have to use the kettle to get the hot water?? Especially if they get bathed daily as it is part of their bedtime routine!! Very tedious!,

And if the wife is disabled, then perhaps that makes tasks like this much harder??

Yes, I get all that.

But why should the boiler repairer handle things differently?

wealdroam

adybuzz wrote: »

perhaps, in your opinion, they shouldn't, but by law they are supposed to.

You seem to be suggesting that service providers should provide a better service for families like yours.

My understanding is that they should make reasonable efforts to provide a similar service.

adybuzz

wealdroam wrote: »

Just curious, why do you feel the need to mention these points?

I guess I have enough on me plate without having to boil kettles many times everyday to bath my children and wife and myself.

its the inconvenience of it all.

marliepanda

adybuzz wrote: »

perhaps, in your opinion, they shouldn't, but by law they are supposed to.

Law does not require preferential treatment to those with children or disabled people.

It requires equal treatment.