We own a late Victorian terrace house which had its supply cable via a single cable stapled along the back wall some time between 1919 and 1966. Each house was served by a spur from this sole cable.
When our builder was putting our or extension across the back he identified this cable would need moving. We contacted our billing company and they had the relevant contractor contact us to visit and quote for the work.
In light of the mess that follows it may serve not to name the miscreant Company.
The contractor man came a few days later by appointment and, without going up to inspect it, said it was a straightforward job as we already had scaffolding in place on a concrete floor. He quoted a price and said it could be done in 2 week time. That seemed really efficient and we were relieved as it tied in well with the work schedule.
2 weeks later the implementation manager arrived to schedule the work for the next few days and horrors he inspected the cable and declared it as not safe due to the covering having perished. He used words we later meant they could dodge calling it an emergency but could schedule the work. All our side of the street had to be rewired.
They said we must expect a delay of 4 to 6 weeks while they plan the work and appoint scaffolders. Effectively all work stopped and our trouble began.
delay after delay and cock up after cock up the work was done suddenly 2 days before the group chairman appeared before the House of Commons Select Committee. From scaffolding obstructing where they had to dig, to finding the cable was not there but where the scaffolding had been moved to, etc etc etc.
It took 14 weeks and we had passed from summer into autumn with all the gales of 2013 thoroughly soaking everything.
Needless to say the downside of this is the unnecessary costs incurred by the comedy of errors. We have it all catalogued and costed, but for the stress and massive loss of convenience.
I am led to believe there is an infrastructure supplier who takes the electricity from the generator to the consumer unit inside my house. The infrastructure company contracts out the maintenance to a contractor. In this instance the contractor is a sister company of billing company, who are the only people I have a contract with.
Who do I go after? and how? law sounds like throwing money in the fire. but who do I sue? Is there some arbitration service can go to? what other channels are open to us?
advice please.
Sod it I will name them - Scottish & Southern
When our builder was putting our or extension across the back he identified this cable would need moving. We contacted our billing company and they had the relevant contractor contact us to visit and quote for the work.
In light of the mess that follows it may serve not to name the miscreant Company.
The contractor man came a few days later by appointment and, without going up to inspect it, said it was a straightforward job as we already had scaffolding in place on a concrete floor. He quoted a price and said it could be done in 2 week time. That seemed really efficient and we were relieved as it tied in well with the work schedule.
2 weeks later the implementation manager arrived to schedule the work for the next few days and horrors he inspected the cable and declared it as not safe due to the covering having perished. He used words we later meant they could dodge calling it an emergency but could schedule the work. All our side of the street had to be rewired.
They said we must expect a delay of 4 to 6 weeks while they plan the work and appoint scaffolders. Effectively all work stopped and our trouble began.
delay after delay and cock up after cock up the work was done suddenly 2 days before the group chairman appeared before the House of Commons Select Committee. From scaffolding obstructing where they had to dig, to finding the cable was not there but where the scaffolding had been moved to, etc etc etc.
It took 14 weeks and we had passed from summer into autumn with all the gales of 2013 thoroughly soaking everything.
Needless to say the downside of this is the unnecessary costs incurred by the comedy of errors. We have it all catalogued and costed, but for the stress and massive loss of convenience.
I am led to believe there is an infrastructure supplier who takes the electricity from the generator to the consumer unit inside my house. The infrastructure company contracts out the maintenance to a contractor. In this instance the contractor is a sister company of billing company, who are the only people I have a contract with.
Who do I go after? and how? law sounds like throwing money in the fire. but who do I sue? Is there some arbitration service can go to? what other channels are open to us?
advice please.
Sod it I will name them - Scottish & Southern
