Citizen helps desperate mum with broken boiler issue after Clarion leave her without hot water for 44 days

A Fenland mother and her disabled son were left without heating for 43 days and hot water for a day longer despite desperate pleas to a social housing group.

Sarah Barlow cares for her 29-year-old son Nicholas who has complex medical needs including having a tracheotomy and a colostomy bag, at her Clarion Housing owned bungalow in Tydd St Giles.

On Friday (27) at her wits' end after an engineer repaired her heating but not her hot water Sarah contacted the Fenland Citizen for help.

She explained how when her boiler packed up working in the middle of October she contacted Clarion via email, which is how tenants are instructed to report faults with their homes.

Sarah said: "It took them five days to get back to me and all they said was that because it was the boiler I needed to report it directly to their contractors Swale. I did that straight away and it took another three days before they responded and they eventually sent someone out.

"The engineer came out and said the boiler was basically obsolete and needed at least three parts replacing. Another two weeks went by and then Swale said they would be sending a surveyor to have a look at the boiler and he would be with me at 8.30am.

"I thought great, but in fact I waited all day and he eventually turned up at 3.45pm. I am shielding my son because of his medical issues and so I pointed the surveyor to the kitchen, which is where the boiler is. But he said he was there to look at my radiators not the boiler and needed access to all my rooms.

"I said he couldn't go in my son's bedroom because he is shielding and was in bed, and he put that down as me refusing him access. But I needed time to sort Nicholas out and keep him safe.

"After that I heard nothing more. I contacted Fenland District Council and also our local councillor but basically got no where. I tried contacting Clarion and Swale but it was like banging my head against a wall. I just didn't know what else to do.

"Then on Thursday (26) an engineer finally turned up and he did fix the heating, but he'd brought the wrong part for the hot water and told me he was going to sign the job off and I'd have to contact Clarion again about the hot water.

"I just burst into tears when he left, for 44 days I have had to boil the kettle if we want hot water,and I have had to use the shower to fill the bath. Obviously hygiene is very important because of Nicholas' medical needs and not having running hot water has made that really difficult."

After Sarah contacted the Citizen we contacted Clarion and also Sarah's district councillor Chris Seaton and within hours an engineer was back at her home and Sarah finally had running water.

She said: "It's absolutely amazing, it's like a Christmas miracle, how quickly they responded after the press got involved. I have been trying to get the work done for weeks, and then they manage to organise an engineer within hours. I'm truly grateful and I'm certain without the Citizen's intervention I'd still be waiting for the hot water to be repaired."

Coun Seaton denied knowledge of Sarah's plight but said: "It is totally unacceptable what she has had to deal with."

A spokesperson for Clarion said: "We sincerely apologise for the delay in fixing the resident’s heating and hot water. We know this has caused inconvenience and this is not the standard of service we expect for our residents.

“We have been working with the resident over a period of time to arrange the installation of a brand new system. The heating was restored last week and in a further appointment today (Tuesday December 1) we ensured the hot water system is working correctly too.”