Cold comfort – Charity pair without heat in Hillmartin Road
Published: 12 February 2010
by PETER GRUNER
TWO Holloway charity workers have accused the National Grid of breaking their “customers charter” after leaving them without gas for heating and cooking for 13 days.
Nick Dearden, 35, director of the Old Street-based Jubilee Debt Campaign, said he has never known such poor communications from a major utility.
Mr Dearden, whose charity supports poor nations forced to repay loans, shares a flat in Hillmartin Road with James O’Nions, 30, who is a campaigner for the World Development Movement.
The pair have no heating and have been unable to use their own cooking facilities in their private block of flats for almost two weeks after water got into a gas supply. They use an electric heater and a portable hob for cooking loaned by National Grid.
“It’s not so much the cold, although that’s bad enough” said Mr Dearden. “It’s the lack of communication from the company.
“Contractors in my estimate have spent no more than four days digging holes outside. Workmen haven’t been seen for more than a week and no one has visited us to explain the situation.”
He added that two other tenants in the flat were so cold that they moved out to live with friends.
“We rely on gas for our heating, hot water and cooking facilities.”
National Grid were unavailable for comment.