Shropshire couple's anger over month-long gas supply delays
A Shropshire couple have been waiting nearly six weeks to have the gas turned on in their new home.
Steve and Patricia Deboick, 65, have been left boiling water in the kettle to wash in and have had to rely on electric heaters through heavy snow and cold weather.
They moved into a new build house on Highley Park Homes in Netherton Lane, near Highley, but the snow meant nobody could get out to turn on their gas supply.
But more than a month later, they are still waiting, despite a visit from contractors at ESP Utilities.
Patricia said: "All they've got to do is lay the pipe and connect it to the meter – it's a 20-minute job.
"My husband is 71 and was ill for three weeks and had to have steroids. The attitude we get is that there are far more valuable people than us.
"We had a contractor come. He was set to arrive at midday but turned up at 8am. We had a builder in who said it would be 20 minutes, but they couldn't wait and left."
The couple, who have six grandchildren, said they have had to rely on their friends.
"We'd be in dire straits without them," Patricia said. "Martin and Bianca Donnelly – we call them brother and sister now because they've been so kind.
Retired
"They've adopted us. We wouldn't have been able to manage without them. We'd have had to go in a hotel somewhere for six weeks, and we can't afford that."
Patricia has M.E and says she has to try to stay warm.
"We're both retired – this just isn't on," she said. "They're not even polite."
Richard Dymond of ESP Utilities said: “On March 22, site owners Loveridges paid for this property to be connected to the gas supply. Our contractor arranged to carry out the work eight working days later on April 11. Unfortunately when they arrived during the morning they discovered the trench was filled with water and they were unable to complete the work.
“We understand that the appointment had been scheduled for the afternoon of April 11 and that the occupier had made arrangements for the water to be pumped out that lunchtime.
“Our contractor is intending to revisit the property this week in a further attempt to make the connection.
“We apologise that, due to the contractor arriving earlier than expected on April 11, this work could not be carried out on the agreed date and that as a result the occupiers have experienced a two-week delay in being connected to the gas supply.”
