Devastated: Hot water cylinder flooding house any day now and no money for replacement

mikeratcliffe

Our hot water cylinder has started to fail (very rusted and leaking from the bottom).

A plumber has had us turn off hot water etc. because it is likely to completely fail any day.

We don't have any money to pay for a new one because I'm unable to work due to a neurological disability. I am on full PIP, my wife is my full-time carer. We have 3 boys (10, 10 and 11) and no heating or hot water.

I have seen lots of charities offering grants for boilers but can't find anybody that offers grants for hot water cylinders.

I feel completely helpless here because we have this emergency and no way to address our problem... does anybody have any idea what I can do?

I'm desperate here!

66Mustang

Not much help and I don’t like telling people to take out loans but if it’s the only option could you explore that?

I know the DWP can give emergency advances (loans) for certain situations and it’s paid back out of benefits but not sure if that’s one of them, also I believe there’s quite a low a limit to what you can borrow

mikeratcliffe

66Mustang said:

Not much help and I don’t like telling people to take out loans but if it’s the only option could you explore that?

I know the DWP can give emergency advances (loans) for certain situations and it’s paid back out of benefits but not sure if that’s one of them, also I believe there’s quite a low a limit to what you can borrow

An advance sounds like a good option. Somebody else suggested contacting social services to see if they know of any local charities etc.

I've never been in this situation before... it's so embarrassing to be too sick to look after your own family

MW123

@mikeratcliffe National Energy Action, although primarily focused on boiler replacements, NEA also provides grants for hot water cylinder replacements. They have a specific fund for low-income families, and your situation might qualify.  Remember to document your situation, including your PIP award, your wife's role as your full-time carer, and the impact of the lack of hot water and heating on your daily lives.

Albus_Scope

Hi @mikeratcliffe and welcome to the community.

I'm so sorry to hear about your hot water issues, Woodbine has rightly said you can often get grants for combis as they're more energy efficient. That's definitely worth looking into.