A mum has been left in shock after discovering that her attempts to cut down costs prevented her boiler exploding.
Nicola Calica-Myall, who lives in Leytonstone, East London, says she was told that the faulty appliance could have “taken out” the “whole block” .
She had turned it off as she was desperately trying to cope with her rising energy bills.
With the rising cost of living, the 47-year-old says she had been turning the appliance on and off to save money, report My London.
However, she was left traumatised after discovering that it was catching fire every time it was turned on.
After having an inspector come round and condemn the use of the device, the mum-of-one is horrifyingly still waiting to receive a replacement boiler from her housing association.
Now, the Sanctuary Housing tenant said she is forced to boil water in a pot on her stove, and the “state of affairs” has left her feeling “disheartened.”
Nicola questioned: “If I didn’t turn it on and off it would have been on constantly and I just keep thinking, ‘what if I hadn't done that?’ I would have blown myself up.
"The boiler inspector said it would have caught fire and it would have taken out the block because it's facing the back which is where the gas supply is and the gas would have still been coming through.
“He said that my current financial situation saved me. From that moment on I've been in a state of trauma.”
The Londoner added that due to the increased cost of living, she has been forced to change her diet and cooked meals that took less time - all to reduce the amount of money she spent on utilities.
The mum added: “Every time I cooked something, every time I had to have a bath or shower, I would turn it on and turn it off. I made a mental note. I couldn't have it for longer than 30 minutes. If my food couldn't cook in half an hour, I had to find something else to eat. The neighbours have said you've lost more weight.”
Nicola claims that previous boiler inspectors had been no shows and she had also been unable to give access to the property as she was in hospital. When a surveyor was finally able to visit, the mum claims she didn’t hear him ring as the housing association had not repaired the buzzer. Luckily the housing association's call centre service alerted her by phone.
Nicola said: “I was inside my flat and I couldn't hear the buzzer ringing. I then received a call from the call centre advising me he was outside and then let him in.I was in the other room working on some stuff. Then he said to me, ‘Nicola, can you come here for a minute, please?
“Then he showed me that the boiler was indeed catching fire.”
A week since the Londoner’s boiler melted internally, she is still waiting for a replacement and has been forced to find other ways to manage. Nicola said: “I'm having to boil up my Dutch pot and put it in the bath. I feel totally that my life doesn't matter to Sanctuary. I have health issues and I would love to have a nice warm bath but I can’t.”
A spokesperson for Sanctuary Housing said: “The first two boiler inspections did not take place as originally planned as on the first occasion we were unable to gain access to the property, and we also called Miss Calica-Myall but she did not answer.
“On the second we were grateful to Miss Calica-Myall for calling us to advise she would not be able to be home at the agreed time. We did attempt to re-arrange the appointment for later that day, but without success.
“A further appointment was arranged for last Thursday (June 30) and following this inspection a new boiler was ordered, which we offered to install on July 7, or alternatively, the earliest available appointment that suits Miss Calica-Myall.”
