Elderly couple in community housing without water and heating for days

Click here to download a pdf version

An elderly couple living in community housing were left without hot water and heating for five days after an electrician caused the appliances to stop working.

John, 77, and his wife Audrey, 80, were unable to shower and were trying to stay warm with blankets as they waited for the issue to resolve. They had called The DFFH Housing in Shepparton twice and hadn’t received a response.

When John complained to the Victorian Ombudsman, the office made urgent enquiries with DFFH and on the same day a contractor was sent out to fix the hot water and heating. As a result, the couple, received an apology and a subsidy was applied to his account to the value of 50 percent of his weekly rent to compensate for the inconvenience.

DFFH also provided John with the correct contact details for future maintenance issues as he was calling the call centre and not Shepparton Housing when he required assistance.

Please note: Outcomes may vary depending on individual circumstances