Gas Sure broke my boiler!! Please help

superjoe76

Hi guys, lookingbfor some help or advice with regard to an ongoing situation I have at the moment with the company who handle my boiler insurance.

I pay them monthly and they provide annual servicing and repairs.

On 13 December my annual service was due. Dude came out to do the service, next day the boiler packs in completely! No heating or hot water. Most annoying. I rang the hotline, they sent someone else out, he inspected and electrodes were on the way out and would have to be replaced. He made a temporary repair which got the boiler working again, ordered new electrodes, amd off he went. About 2 hours later, it packed in again.

Rang them again, they came out the next evening and dropped two electric fan heaters so we had some kind of heating, and left. Days passed as we waited on the parts coming to repair the boiler. Meanwhile we're watching the electricity meter going mental - the heaters are NOT energy efficient. Damn. This gonna cost a fortune.

I phone regularly for updates - no news. No news. No news. Before I know it, it's December 23rd, then a guy comes to the door and hands in a part for the boiler, says a technician will be out next day to fit it. Okey dokey.

Next day - Christmas Eve - techie comes out to fit the part. IT'S NOT COMPATIBLE WITH MY BOILER. Fella is extremely apologetic. Has a poke about the boiler while he's there, and is immediately horrified by what he sees, tells me that whoever serviced the boiler has screwed up massively, has opemed something he shouldn't have touched and this has caused a blown seal. Again hugely apologetic, says this should never have happened and that it was entirely the techie's fault. Guy can't apologise enough, but says, naturally, that with it being Christmas Eve, nothing can be done til new parts are ordered and sent. I phone the office and complain vociferously, telling the receptionist what the tech had said - essentially it was the lad who serviced the boiler initially who had caused the damage. I express huge concerns about the electricity use with the fan heaters, and moan at length about the cost, the inconvenience, the fact that I have no hot water and as such have to boil kettles every time dishes need washed, I can't dry my clothes etc etc.

I get a verbal apology and told nothing can be done, need to wait for the parts etc.

Fast forward a week. New Year's Eve. I call. Still no sign of the parts, and unfortunately the supplier is closed now until January 3rd.

I ask to speak to complaints or a manager. Stonewalled. Told to email HR department. I'm beyond livid. The inconvenience has been hellish, festive season, guests coming etc, middle of winter.....but my biggest worry is the electric bill (I have an 8 year old son, gotta keep the place reasonably warm but these heaters are the size of a loaf of bread, but by gum do they use a lot of leccy....

So my question is this.......I will of course write a very frank email of complaint and remind them that their own technician has admitted they are liable....but do I have any right to demand compensation (to offset the huge electricity bill run up over the last 3 weeks by the fan heaters and crazy amount of kettle boiling to wash dishes etc?

Can anybody advise, please, or point me in a direction for a template letter, rights, rules, or anything at all?

I'm flaming furious, but also really worried about an electricity bill which will be more than double what my gas bill would've been!

Please help.

Thank you

matelodave

I really hope you've kept a written diary of all events, phone calls and visits (dates, times, who said or did what and when), even gas and electricity meter readings so you've got a line of evidence rather than just a rant.

Thats about all you can do at the moment until they get it sorted out.

Unfortunately it's that time of year when it's nigh on impossible to get stuff fixed or parts supplied as most of the country seems to close down between Xmas eve and the 2nd January.

Others may have better ideas

HampshireH

As above keep all your readings dates times and information for your complaint.

No reason not to ask for a reasonable sum of money the heaters have cost plus compensation for breaking your boiler in the 1st place.

That said surely you didn't relly expect parts to become available between xmas and new year. I'd say that is unrealistic unless they told you that they would be available within that period of time.

superjoe76

No, of course not, but they broke the boiler on the 13th of December, one would hope a specialist would have been able to repair it in under 12 days.

I do indeed have logs of all calls, meter readings, visits and technicians etc so I will present all evidence in my complaint to them, as well as asking for compensation.

Thanks, guys, appreciate the replies. Will let you know hown t resolves.