At the end of last year I moved into a new home in town - the neighbourhood is pleasantly quiet, the people very welcoming and I am enjoying building a new chapter in my life.
But on Good Friday I was given cause to think of others when the boiler in my new home failed – terminally. With snow on the ground and ice in my kitchen, I rang Kevin The Plumber and nervously asked whether there was any chance that he might be able to come and have a look at whatever the problem was, so that I could get the heat back in time for the rest of the weekend.
PROMPT ACTION
Kevin not only said that he would indeed come and have a look – he did so promptly. After dismantling a fair proportion of my kitchen, he pointed triumphantly to the problem. Water had leaked from a burst heat exchanger, shorted out the electrics and thus prevented the boiler from starting up. What’s more, it would never start up again because Kevin said he wouldn’t be prepared to try to repair it – it was simply too far gone. With gusto therefore he set about ripping the thing off the wall, preparing the way for a new and better boiler. I retreated to contemplate my savings account and what will, in due course, be a reasonably hefty invoice…
IMPACT ON SOCIETY
On the radio programme we’ve talked quite a number of times about the way cold affects people – there’s sheltered housing close to where I now live and at the start of the year the houses there were renovated to give residents new kitchens, insulation and heating. It can’t have come too soon for them – it was bitterly cold. I wonder what the casualty rate from the cold will have risen to by the time temperatures finally rise.
I also wonder how much demand local charities like the Hope Centre here in town will have seen for their services – not only because of the cold but because of the state of the economy and increases in fuel costs. There was a time when the cost of heating and lighting a home simply wasn’t a topic of conversation – those days are long gone now and I wonder when the next round of price hikes will be announced. Demand and supply in harmony with cost increases – gird your financial loins…
BE GRATEFUL
The discomfort of having the house plunged into the same sub-zero temperatures inside as there were outside brought into sharp focus for me the difficulties that others have, either with the elderly worrying about affording their heating bills, or those with no home at all. I am extremely lucky not only to have an income, but also a roof over my head. My brief episode in the cold has reminded me to be grateful for what I’ve got. This time I’m going to be able to pay my way out of the winter – many can’t. It’s going to cost a lot to get back to square one and as I write this I still have no heating, but I will do soon and hopefully the money spent will ensure that I can stay warm for a long time to come – whatever the weather.
At the same time, Kevin The Plumber has single-handedly flown the flag for local tradesmen. There’s something very positive about putting work the way of local people who are good at what they do.
It keeps money in the local economy and it encourages faith in craftsmanship. Supporting local tradesmen supports the town and county – it keeps the wheels turning.