Repairs in your home

If there is a fire in your home:

– Leave the home straight away and make sure everyone gets out.
– Stay a safe distance away from the building.
– If you can do it safely, close doors as you leave to slow the fire and smoke.
– Do not try to put the fire out yourself unless it is very small and safe to do so.
– Call 999 as soon as you can.
– If your home is behind the wire, follow your local station’s rules.

After you have called the emergency services and everyone is safe, contact the National Service Centre Repairs Team. They will arrange a visit, give advice, and help you find somewhere else to stay if you need it.

If you have a major water leak:

– Turn off the water at the main stopcock. This is usually under the kitchen sink, in the bathroom, hall, or under the stairs.
– After the water is off, turn on all the taps to drain the pipes.
– If water is getting into the electrics, turn off the electricity at the fuse box.

Then contact the National Service Centre to report the leak. They will tell you what to do next and arrange for an Amey / VIVO engineer to visit your home.

A gas emergency is when:

– There is a risk of people getting hurt.
– There is a high risk of serious damage to your home or the environment.
– You have had to call the emergency services or a utility company for help.

In any emergency, Amey or VIVO (DIO’s repair teams) will come as soon as they can to make things safe and fix the problem.

We may ask:

– How big are the areas of damp or mould?
– Where is it in your home?
– Do you have photos to show us?
– Have you tried anything to stop it getting worse?

We may ask:

– Are both radiator valves turned on?
– If it has a thermostat, is it turned up high?
– Is only part of the radiator warm? If yes, is it the top or the bottom?

We may ask:

– Is the boiler on?
– Is the pilot light showing?
– Is the hot water tank warm?
– Is the room thermostat turned up?
– Do you know where the heating pump is, and can you feel it running?
– Is the boiler showing any fault codes?
– Do you know how to reset the boiler, and have you tried it?

We may ask:

– Is it just your home with no water?
– Do your neighbours have the same problem?
– Have you contacted your local water company?

We may ask:

– Where is the leak coming from (the pan or the cistern?)
– Can you stop or slow the leak?
– Is the toilet pan cracked?
– Is this your only toilet?
– Does it flush with a handle or a chain?
– Is the toilet upstairs or downstairs?

We may ask:

– Is it only your home without power?
– Do your neighbours still have power?
– Has the main switch tripped?
– Does turning the main switch back on fix it?

We may ask:

– Are your lights still on?
– If yes, check the fuse box — a socket fuse may have tripped.
– Have you tried another socket?
– Some sockets, like cooker sockets, have their own fuse — have you checked it?
– Is the problem with the item you’re using or the socket switch?

We may ask:

– Is the window single or double glazed?
– What is the problem — broken glass, damaged catch, rotten frame, or misty double glazing?
– Which floor is it on?
– Is it made of wood or uPVC?
– Can it open and close?
– Can it be locked or made secure?

We may ask:

– Is your home safe and secure?
– Which door has the problem?
– What part is damaged (e.g. hinges, handle, lock, letterbox)
– Do we need to get access through the door?

We may ask:

– Is the door sticking or hard to open?
– Is the door damaged?
– Is the latch or lock not working?
– Is the door made of wood or uPVC?
– Do the keys work?
– Is the door frame damaged?

We may ask:

– Which part is broken: the whole drawer, the front, or the bottom?
– Does it run on metal or plastic runners?
– Is the drawer sticking?

We may ask:

Is it a floor, wall or larder unit? Is the cupboard double or single?