British Gas cause damage to neighbouring property

psotography · 15 June 2019 at 5:33AM

Hi all,

I wondered where's best to get advice on an on going issue we're having with British Gas.

Last year a BG engineer caused a great deal of damage to a flat upstairs. BG arranged for everything to be repaired or replaced including a new boiler.

When they replaced the boiler they've mistaken our extractor fan (air) waste pipe for a soil (water) waste direct from the boiler (condense). Slowly, over time, the dripping had caused a great deal of damp in our hallway storage cupboard in our flat we're rented tenants of downstairs.

It's been a great deal of effort and time to get things moving and now it feels like we're being bullied from a corporate level to have everything replaced to/by a bare minimum (e.g., 5 yo possessions or carpet will be replaced or financial equivalent - anyone got a 5 yo carpet to hand?)

We've had a baby between all of this and it's causing so much inconvenience at this time. I want to protect my family and it seems we're not even considered replacement accommodation whilst painters and carpet layers are in. We've already had 7 days of industrial heater and dehumidifier in summer - the noise these things make!

BG have gone beyond executive level and have appointed an independent loss adjuster (a company with a long history of work with them - mates).

I've asked whether we will be compensated for the inconvenience this has caused and it seems that it's not within my rights and feels as if I'm being pushed into a corner from that corporate and solicited weight even though this was a disturbance caused from outside of our property.

I mainly just wanted to share me disappointment in British Gas in this matter. We'll most definitely be taking our business away from now on. Just wondered if anyone had a similar experience or has advice on where to go. We're on a low income and they know we'll not afford or be bothered to take things further. I just hate that we can be taken advantage of because of that.

Thanks in advance,

Paul

Davesnave · 15 June 2019 at 6:52AM

People mess up, especially if they work for a company that has the initials BG, so your tale of woe isn't news to many of us here; we've heard it before. I have my own tale that goes back nearly 40 years, which suggests there's consistency!

Our house was severely burned in a fire started by a third party and completely uninhabitable for 6 months. The Gas Board, as it was then, were one of the main stumbling blocks in effecting swift repairs. They cost us a month at the very least.

I presume your flat isn't completely uninhabitable or you would contact the local council's EHO and have it condemned, so the heaters and dehumidifiers are just something you have to put up with, as is the inconvenience of having tradespersons in. If you were an owner-occupier it would be no different.

Loss adjusters are part of large insurance claims. Who you get is a lottery, but their role is generally to make sure reparations are reasonable and fair. Our was an !!! and lazy with it, so we achieved betterment, but a principle of insurance is that one isn't entitled to it.

As for compensation for 'inconvenience;' it doesn't happen. If you get it, it's a goodwill gesture. I had a shirt given to me last week because of the long wait I had in a shop, but again I wasn't entitled to anything.

I understand exactly how you feel. As a young married chap, I felt similarly up against it and angered by incompetents with whom I had to deal almost daily, including one who was actually much worse than the Gas Board.

I learned a great deal in 6 months, not only about building and how best to deal with builders, but also how to make a nuisance of myself without quite reaching the point where I'd be arrested! It's all to do with having one's home violated and that feeling of being cornered you describe. The learning curve I went through helped me the rest of my life. I met some nice, helpful people too.

So, think of it as character-building! Sorry I can't be of any direct help.

tealady · 15 June 2019 at 6:55AM

If BG have damaged the landlords property then that is a matter between them and BG.
If your property is damaged suggest you claim off your insurance and let them deal with BG.

traineepensioner · 16 June 2019 at 9:40AM

tealady wrote: »

If BG have damaged the landlords property then that is a matter between them and BG.
If your property is damaged suggest you claim off your insurance and let them deal with BG.

That's good advice. Legally BG (their loss adjuster) are entitled to account for the condition & age of any items damaged and offer a cash settlement or replacement of a similar value. If carpets are damaged they will usually be replaced with new carpets but of a lower quality to reflect the age of the existing carpet.

You may find that you have a "new for old" clause on your contents insurance and it may be beneficial to claim off your own insurance and let them deal with BG. If BG have admitted liability then you shouldn't lose any "no claims" on your insurance policy and your premium shouldn't rise. It is important that you let them know asap.

British Gas cause damage to neighbouring property

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