Compensation from gas being capped

Legacy_user

I hope someone can give me a little advice. Earlier this year I had to miss my annual gas safety check from my housing association. I had an appointment at hospital and made arrangements to reschedule with my housing manager. On the day of my appointment I was informed en-route to hospital that my gas was being capped.
It was 5 days before it was returned to service. I am considered to be 'vulnerable' - I have a 20% disability as well as fibromyalgia. I was also being treated for a serious infection at the time.
Long story short it was office politics and poor communication that led to my capping - they have admitted so. Today I was offered £125 in compensation. I really don't know what to think of it as an offer. I don't know if it is generous or insulting - I just see it as a 'pointless amount'. The offer was made "for the inconvenience and in particular to your health"

My logic is that to have had heat and bathroom facilities I would have had to book into a hotel and that should be the minimum they look at. Am I wrong? Help please.

Thanks in advance

Slithery

peterwfinlayson wrote: »

My logic is that to have had heat and bathroom facilities I would have had to book into a hotel and that should be the minimum they look at.

If you can provide receipts then this would seem reasonable.

If not then a Premier in is around £40 a night so £150 doesn't sound like a bad deal.

DaftyDuck

Did you book such a hotel? What time of year was it, and was it necessary?

ACG

Going off the wording of your post, I am assuming you did not book in to a hotel. Assuming you did not, how can you ask for money for a hotel that you did not stay in?

In theory you could have joined a gym for £15-20 for the month and used the showers there and had an electric heater which can be bought for about £15 plus say £10 extra in electricity costs, so with your same logic they should be compensating you £45 because you "could" have done that.

HampshireH

Most Housing Associations send numerous letters and book at least 1 appointment well before the cut off date where it becomes non compliant.

Did yours not do this?

Your post contradicts itself. You say you had to miss your appt but then you say you rearranged it. So was it a communication on behalf of the housing manager or was this the last chance to get it booked in?

£125 seems reasonable to be and a very fair gesture.

System

I apologise to you that replied. Sarcasm isn't a great read, and I think asking such question here was a mistake. Sorry.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

I had an issue with my gas being capped by an over enthusiastic gas company. Key differences in our situations are:

a) my gas service wasn't overdue (just due)
b) I had tried several times to make weekend appointments and the 'special team' never got back to me. Instead they kept making daytime appointments and only giving me a few hours notice.
c) there were no formal notices that the gas had been capped. There was no warning notice on the gas mains, no card through the letterbox and certainly no call. I thought it was a fault with the boiler and called an emergency engineer out who uncapped it.
d)my gas was off for less than a day. We got home from work at 5pm to find it off and it was back on by 9pm.

I lodged a formal complaint and eventually received £250 compensation (they initially offered less, I negotiated higher). I thought that was more than fair.

worried_jim

£125! Bite their hand off!

theartfullodger

How refreshing to find a landlord that takes their responsibilities over gas safety seriously.

martindow

peterwfinlayson wrote: »

I hope someone can give me a little advice. Earlier this year I had to miss my annual gas safety check from my housing association. I had an appointment at hospital and made arrangements to reschedule with my housing manager. On the day of my appointment I was informed en-route to hospital that my gas was being capped.
It was 5 days before it was returned to service. I am considered to be 'vulnerable' - I have a 20% disability as well as fibromyalgia. I was also being treated for a serious infection at the time.
Long story short it was office politics and poor communication that led to my capping - they have admitted so. Today I was offered £125 in compensation. I really don't know what to think of it as an offer. I don't know if it is generous or insulting - I just see it as a 'pointless amount'. The offer was made "for the inconvenience and in particular to your health"

My logic is that to have had heat and bathroom facilities I would have had to book into a hotel and that should be the minimum they look at. Am I wrong? Help please.

Thanks in advance

Just in case it disappears...


I can't say I find the replies sarcastic. They discuss the issue and agree that you should accept the money offered.

LandyAndy

peterwfinlayson wrote: »

I apologise to you that replied. Sarcasm isn't a great read, and I think asking such question here was a mistake. Sorry.

I don't detect any sarcasm in the posts preceding this one of yours.

I do detect people making reasonable replies to your post and you not liking the answers you are getting.

It wasn't asking the question that was a mistake. The mistake was in anticipating the answers.

ETA: beaten to it by martindow.