A WOMAN is angry at the council for taking two and a half weeks to replace her boiler – a task Dacorum usually aims to accomplish within 24 hours.
During a routine check a contractor for Dacorum Borough Council decided to condemn the boiler at Kay Davis’ council home in Typleden Close, Hemel Hempstead, on February 3.
Despite promises that the issue would be resolved quickly, Kay, 42, only had the boiler replaced on Monday February 20.
She said: “It’s been absolutely freezing over the past couple of weeks.
“I’ve just had the boiler put in after waiting two and a half weeks.
“The council gave me two small fan heaters but they weren’t very good and they cost me a lot to run.
“They did try to come a couple of times but I told them when I was at work and as a single mum I can’t afford to take lots of time off.
“They’re the ones that condemned it, why should I be the one who has to pay?”
An immersion heater was fitted on Tuesday, February 7 to give the property hot water but Kay was then told a boiler wouldn’t be fitted at her home until the following Monday.
It then took an extra week for a boiler to be fitted in Kay’s home.
During her time without a working boiler temperatures in Hemel Hempstead dropped as low as -7oC.
A council spokesman said: “This process can take up to 10 days as Dacorum Borough Council must undertake obligatory checks prior to the work being carried out.
“However, this may be delayed when there is no-one present at the property for pre-booked appointments.”