Residents of a Gateshead complex were left without hot water for a week, sparking fury over poor communication.
Engineers came to fix the boiler. They took it apart on February 6th. They needed parts they didn’t have. People used kettles for hot water. Residents didn’t know when it would be fixed.
Alan said engineers came without telling anyone. They removed parts. The manager said the part would come Friday. They heard nothing until February 12th. Some residents are in their 80s and 90s and they had to boil water.
Alan thinks communication was bad. He believes this treatment is disgraceful. Alan has lived there for 13 years. He also noted ongoing hot water issues. Hot water is good at 8 AM; it’s lukewarm from 10 AM to 3 PM.
The boiler used to provide hot water always. Alan is unsure why it changed. He said no one explained it. Alan filed a complaint with Anchor Housing.
Kirsty McMahon manages Kestrel Mews. She said repairs have been done and the hot water is now restored. They knew about the fault on February 6th. Heating was restored the same day; however, a part for hot water was still needed.
The new part arrived on February 10th, and they installed it then. The system took time to refill. Resident comfort matters to Anchor. They apologized for the hot water loss, and staff have been onsite, telling residents about compensation.
Anchor Housing checks the water temperature and has checked it often since the repairs. This confirms the system works right, and they ensure the correct temperatures.