A MUM has claimed that she has been forced to spend £170 on electricity just to wash her kids after the council left her without hot water.
Sarah Wedge, 43, from Barking and Dagenham, East London, said she had to boil the kettle repeatedly just so her family can stay clean over the 12-day ordeal.
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The hot water reportedly went off on November 6 and came back on on November 18.
While a temporary boiler was delivered on November 11, residents claimed that the supply remained sporadic until a week later.
Sarah also alleged that residents were told to go to family and friends’ houses to shower.
The alternative was apparently to use the facilities at the local leisure centre and be reimbursed by Barking and Dagenham Reside, who manage the properties.
However, Sarah claimed that her autistic son wouldn’t shower anywhere else, so the whole family of six were forced to rely on the kettle for hot water.
The fuming mum has children aged four, nine, 13, and 16.
She told MyLondon: “People with disabilities don’t like change. There is no way to go to a leisure centre. And our family live far away – in Dagenham, Bristol, Lincolnshire, and Tilbury.”
The mum-of-four understands that the issue is related to burst pipe and that it will take until Christmas to fix.
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As of November 18, she claimed that she spent £170 on electricity, which she is struggling to afford due to the cost of living crisis.
She said that she was offered no compensation for the extra charge, while the council have since claimed that they have encouraged residents to contact them about compensation schemes.
A spokesperson for Barking and Dagenham Council said: “We have been working on fixing the issue with the boiler and installed a temporary boiler so residents can have access to hot water.
“Our staff have been on site since the problems arose and worked over the weekend to resolve the issue.
“This is a complex issue and so there is no quick fix. This is why we installed a temporary boiler.
“We know that there have been issues with the temporary boiler which staff have worked the whole weekend to resolve, and residents have confirmed that the hot water is now restored.
The spokesperson then apologised for any inconvenience caused and asked residents who have been “out of pocket” to get in touch.
They added: “We have kept residents informed throughout and we continue to provide regular updates to the properties affected.”
