Shivering Sheffield residents hit by water mains crisis offered cold comfort with blankets and socks

About 2,000 homes in Stannington were originally affected after a burst water main flooded the gas pipes network on Friday, December 2, knocking out boilers, cookers and fires for hundreds who were left without hot water and heating.

Despite a lot of properties having had their heating restored, hundreds of homes around Stannington, Sheffield, have still been left struggling without gas a week later.

Gas distribution company Cadent Gas said a number of properties had their gas supply restored during Saturday, December 10, with appliances and gas meters checked but Cadent said it was not able to get gas flowing to more properties in nearby Malin Bridge due to the ‘huge volume of water’ in the gas network there.

Cadent has confirmed the volume of water in the network has slowed progress to reconnect homes on Saturday, December 10, and it could be Monday, December 12, before some properties are reconnected to gas supplies.

It has also confirmed that affected domestic residents can expect to receive £130 per day for a minimum of seven days’ disruption from Cadent, and commercial properties can expect £210 per day for a minimum of seven days’ disruption.

Resident John Baldwin, of Highfield Rise, Stannington, said he and his family realised they had lost heating on Saturday morning, December 3, and they could hearing digging going on at the bottom of their road so they were forced to borrow heaters for their home.

He added: “We saw a post on the internet and were told not to use our gas but we had used our gas but when I read the post they came around and capped it off.”

Mr Baldwin was among some of the more fortunate after his family’s heating was restored by Tuesday, December 6, but he sympathised with those who are still waiting in very cold conditions.

He added Cadent workers have been getting on with repairs and have offered compensation but he had been disappointed with Yorkshire Water who had visited people on Friday, December 9, only to offer blankets.

Neighbour Mark King, of Highfield Rise, said: “It’s been cold. We didn’t lose electricity but we lost our boiler, heating and hot water and my partner suffers with dementia and diabetes so we got her with our daughter for a couple of nights.”

He added: “It is not Cadent that is the problem. Yorkshire Water have not done enough. It was their fault. The reason the boiler went off is that there was water in the gas pipe. I cannot understand why they are not accepting the blame. At least Cadent have come out with a compensation offer.”

Mr King said on Saturday afternoon that the only thing I have seen from Yorkshire Water is that they sent two young women around the neighbourhood offering blankets and socks and he added that this felt like an insult.

Another resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said it has been very difficult for people and he has been very concerned for those who have had to continue to wait for their heating to be restored especially the elderly.

Energy watchdog Ofgem said it was "extremely concerned" about vulnerable people being left without gas as temperatures plummeted.

By Saturday about three quarters of homes had been reconnected but Cadent said the volume of water in gas pipes had been an issue and they were still pumping water out of the gas pipes.

Many of the remaining homes and businesses would be back on gas by Sunday evening but some may still have to wait for Monday, according to Cadent.

Ofgem confirmed on Saturday, December 10, that 340 people had been without gas supplies for a week but it was extremely concerned that 194 consumers on the Priority Services Register remain off gas, along with hundreds of other homes.

Ofgem has stated Yorkshire Water has confirmed it would handle compensation claims for water damage and additional costs incurred, with affected consumers asked to fill out a form on Yorkshire Water’s website or call a dedicated phoneline on 01274 250555.

Anyone affected by the gas outage can visit the customer centre located at The Lomas Hall, on Church Street, Stannington, S6 6DB, call a support and information phoneline on 0800 917 9598 or visit Cadent’s dedicated webpage.