Left Out In The Cold

Thursday, 04 March 2010

MP John Pugh has written to energy minister Ed Miliband urging the Government to scrap their current method of heating installation for vulnerable people because it is not effective enough. 

The Warm Front scheme was set up by the Government for those people who are on low incomes, elderly or vulnerable. It’s a scheme that local MP John Pugh has always supported, but complaints from residents about having to wait too long for the contracted company EAGA to install and consequently having to pay to have it privately done has prompted him to raise concerns.

One Constituent was confirmed mid October as a high priority case to have her boiler fixed. However, by early December she had still not been visited by a fitter from the company and was forced to turn to a private installer.

"The lady got in touch with our office to try and claim money back from EAGA for the cost of the private installation. The response from the company was shocking. They said that they were unable to issue retrospective payments because they are not an ‘emergency service.’"

"However, being classed as eligible for the scheme in October and still not having heating by December is an unacceptable amount of time for anybody to be waiting especially during the winter months. Its a complete neglect of duty on the part of the company."

Another Constituent Mandy 'O'Brien was left without a boiler for six weeks over the Summer and again throughout January. "It was so cold I could see my breath. I was even taken to hospital with an asthma attack. When an EAGA representative eventually did come out, he quoted me a price of 700 to have it fixed. In frustration I called out a local fitter who told me that the part needed to fix it would only cost £27. Dealing with this company has just been a nightmare from start to finish."

"If the Government’s outsourcing company can’t be relied upon then it surely makes sense for local registered installers to be able to undertake the work," believes Dr Pugh. "This could be done by operating a voucher scheme instead. Firstly, residents would not have to wait an eternity to have their heating fitted, and the work would be undertaken better and probably cheaper.

"It defeats the purpose of the scheme if people are not receiving correct heating installation at the time when they need it most."