New boiler and surgery

[alexT123]

Hi All,

I had a new boiler installed by Eon. But our shower stopped working, we were informed it was a simple job and that we just need to swap it for an electric shower. However, this wasn't true as they'd not connect a cold water pipe to the shower, so no shower would ever work.

For more than a year we were attempting to get them to sort this, even getting our own plumber, who couldn't do the work because he didn't know what Eon had done with the pipes.

During this time I made Eon aware of two medical conditions I have that benefited from having a shower. These were ignored, I have a number of rare and complex medical conditions.

I was then due to have an operation, this is extreme difficult for me as I needed to fight to get back on my feet because of my medical conditions. So we needed everything to go well, even paying privately for the operation. On the day the appointment was booked, we informed Eon we'd need the working shower for wound care, this gave them a month. So this did finally prompt some action and someone was send out to do an assessment.

After a lot of messing around it was agreed that they'd sort the pipes and install the shower. However, despite me sending increasing desperate emails I had the operation and no work had been done. In fact it took them two weeks post operation to complete the job. During this time I was having to live in an air b&b for a week and then on two separate occasions to go a hotel. As you can image it was terrible to be moving around anywhere after an operation let alone this much, it was also extremely stressful as I was having to argue with Eon to sort the shower urgently.

I have no doubt my slower than normal recover was hindered by all that happened. Also, there can be no doubt that Eon had the resources and the ability to get this solved at any time day or night but they choose to not do so. They could if they wanted, solve huge complex infrastructure problems, this was a shower

Anyway since then we have asked many times for a copy of Eon their policy on handerling situation like this. They have ignored all the requests, instead they have offered £500 as compensation for the 1.5 years without a shower. We felt this was insulting, not having a shower wasn't the issue for us, it was the medical complications they caused and they have not even said a word on this issue. The letter was labelled as a "final response".

With the above in mind, we simple have no recourse with Eon. So my question is, do we have legal recourse?

Thanks for reading if you got this far

Alex

[alexT123]

Anyone? Even some basic feedback would be amazing

[islandgirl]

Hopefully someone with some experience of this type of thing will be along to help soon - This was a horrible experience and I hope you are well now. As for my (non expert layman's) view, the problem may be that the year it took could surely have been less - how could a plumber not know what another plumber had done with the pipes? Presumably you had a bath to use? I can see you would have a claim for the hotel stay. The best thing may be to have a free appointment with a solicitor who will help you to decide if you have a case. What would you feel is a fair amount of compensation?

[charitynjw]

As a retired plumber/heating engineer, my initial question would be; was the new installation a 'same (type) for same'?
Eg, was the new boiler a replacement (condensing) combi for an existing one?
Or was the previous system a low pressure set up?
What type of shower was it that no longer worked on the new installation? (Electric? Other?).

[atticus]

I cannot see that you will get compensation for the delayed recovery. The question for the court is whether this is a foreseeable consequence of a breach of this contract. How was Eon to know?

[charitynjw]

I can't help thinking there is more to this than has been said.
No way would it take over a year for a competent plumber to diagnose the problem, let alone a firm with the resources of Eon, plus another privately engaged.
It just doesn't add up.

[MIKE770]

I can't help thinking there is more to this than has been said.
No way would it take over a year for a competent plumber to diagnose the problem, let alone a firm with the resources of Eon, plus another privately engaged.
It just doesn't add up.

That was my thinking as well?? (Confused)!

[islandgirl]

Me three

[charitynjw]

Me three

[alexT123]

Hi All, Sorry for the not replying, I didn't know all these messages were here. I didn't get an alert. Thanks for the replies, I will attempt to answer them all

charitynjw the exchange was for an old system with a hot water tank for a combi boiler. ANd the new shower needed to be electric, which was simple, if they'd connected water to the shower but they left it without any water supply.

@Attius they were more than aware that this was urgent. I emailed them as soon as I knew the operation was booked. And I sent many emails expressing increasing concern. I spoke to them on the phone a number of times as well. There is no doubt I was literally begging them to do the work before the operation. And I informed them as to why it was of medical concern that the process went smoothly.

charitynjw it took a year and half to get it sorted. Apparently the plumber had stopped working for Eon because most of their jobs turned into nightmares. The problem was, due to covid the original assessments were conducted over video calls. We had many other problems not listed here. The plumber clearly didn't want to do these jobs and eon clearly didn't want to pass the job to the plumber. And yes spot on a company like Eon resolve huge infrastructure problems at the drop of a hat. This was a shower, they could have send an emergency plumber so easily, I begged them to do this. Yet they still didn't do it. It is so terrible that it doesn't make sense, but this is exactley what happened. My MP has taken up the case.

[alexT123]

I actual asked Eon, if there was a water leak, you'd send an emergency plumber? They agreed they would. I asked why in this situation they'd send a plumber? They said it would qualify for an emergency plumber because of water damage. It was literally like they had no capacity whatsoever to understand a shower needed for medical reasons was any kind of priority, let alone an emergency. I even asked the hospital for a medical note that I could forward to Eon so they had something from the hosptial to show how urgent this was. I did everything I could to make them see how urgent this was.

[charitynjw]

I actual asked Eon, if there was a water leak, you'd send an emergency plumber? They agreed they would. I asked why in this situation they'd send a plumber? They said it would qualify for an emergency plumber because of water damage. It was literally like they had no capacity whatsoever to understand a shower needed for medical reasons was any kind of priority, let alone an emergency. I even asked the hospital for a medical note that I could forward to Eon so they had something from the hosptial to show how urgent this was. I did everything I could to make them see how urgent this was.

I have not had the advantage of seeing your installation, so can only offer general opinion.
There is usually no problem in fitting a suitable shower to a combi boiler; I have 2 linked to mine.
The shower needs to be compitable with the boiler, so capable of handling high (mains) pressure hot & cold water.. The old shower unit was probably low (cistern-fed) pressure.
Electric showers are almost always mains cold feed. It would also need a seperate electric spur, min 30amp, possibly a lot more depending on the shower wattage. It would require a substantial cable (min 10mm, possibly 25mm) to be run from the fuse box (consumer unit), possibly with it's own rcd/rccb unit. It would depend on the length of run & the route taken. It would also need a suitable isolating switch fitted in the vicinity of the electric shower in accordance with British Standards/Building regs (Part P).

All of this should have been explained when the new installation was sold to you.

[alexT123]

Yes spot on. But no nothing explained, other than it would be a simple swap.

Does anyone have any feedback on my legal options? Eon clearly time and time again chose to not resolve this. It caused a great deal distress and pain. I'm really angry about what happened. Its horrible to be on the phone to people, saying I'm in pain, you can sort this if you want, and them allowing this to drag on for 2 weeks post operation. Surely this is willful negligence?

[islandgirl]

The appropriate ombudsman may be the next port of call. I still do not understand why you did not get this fixed at your own expense if it was so necessary (as it clearly was) and then claim the cost back from EON?

[alexT123]

Hi Island, I did attempt to get it resolved, based on the information Eon gave me i.e it was a simple swap. However, when the plumber attended he couldn't find the correct pipes. Part of this was because they were behind a false wall, which is something I'd forgotten. We contacted Eon while the plumber was here to discuss how to resolve it, but Eon didn't assist.

And on the other issue I informed Eon if they completed the work I would pay for it and we could resolve the issue after the operation. They didn't take up this offer, instead saying they'd complete the work. Actually looking over the documents I gave them notice even before the operation was booked. I even sent them a receipt of the private consultation with the surgeon as proof an operation was being arranged.

I've seen the review for the ombudsman, they look are bad as Eon. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Om...Fg%2F1yh9tskj8

What would the ombudsman do? I can't from the reviews trust that this would be anything else but another nightmare.