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‘Nobody cared’: Aberdeen family with fourth-month-old baby left without heating for days

Father Kevin Smith said he booked multiple "emergency appointments" with OVO, where no technician showed up.

Kevin Smith is frustrated with the response from Ovo. Image: Kevin Smith/Paul Glendell/DC Thomson
Kevin Smith is frustrated with the response from Ovo. Image: Kevin Smith/Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

An Aberdeen family has been left without heating for days, with a four-month old baby at home.

The Smiths are on the priority register with energy provider OVO, as they have a four-month old baby at their home in Stoneywood, named Kaio.

So the family was worried when their heating stopped working over the weekend.

Despite being on the priority register, father Kevin Smith said it took three days and multiple cancelled “emergency appointments” for his heating to be turned back on.

On more than one occasion, a technician failed to show up to a scheduled “emergency appointment.”

One of several “emergency appointments” Kevin Smith booked to fix his heating. Image: Kevin Smith

He said: “Nobody cared, nobody phoned to say (appointments) had been cancelled. My biggest issue was just waiting for nothing. It’s annoying and I was worried about my baby.”

Kevin Smith and his wife Agnieszka Smith and their child Kaio. Image: Kevin Smith

The issue came at a stressful time for Kevin and his wife Agnieszka. Last weekend their baby Kaio was being Christened.

They also claim they had to send their dog Ferbi, a small, white Maltese, to stay with a neighbour because the dog was shivering all weekend.

Kevin Smith said he had to send the family’s dog, named Ferbi, to stay with a neighbour due to the cold. Image: Kevin Smith

OVO apologises ‘for not providing the standard of care’

Eventually, OVO sent someone to fix the energy monitor around 11am on the Monday, February 26.

Kevin Smith said: “The fact that somebody turned up and it was done within 30 to 40 minutes. It was so easy.”

Kevin Smith’s heating was eventually turned on again around 11am on Monday. Image: Kevin Smith

An OVO spokesperson said in a statement: “We are always working to provide our customers with the best possible service and would like to apologise to Mr Smith for not providing the standard of care we expect to deliver on this occasion.”

The company was criticised last summer for slow service repairs by Na h-Eileanan an Iar, MSP Alasdair Allan.

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