1300 homes and two schools facing no gas supply for days

MORE than 1300 homes were left without a gas supply and two primary schools were closed after a major gas problem in the city.

As the Evening News reported yesterday, the problem started when a water main burst on Pennywell Road in the Granton area and flooded the gas network.

Fed up families have said they face being left without heating and cooking facilities for days, with Scotia Gas Networks warning the problems could last for some time yet.

It said 150 engineers were working around the clock and extra staff had been brought in to get temporary heaters and hotplates to the elderly, disabled or those with children.

So far the company has made 300 of the appliances available and a spokeswoman said work had already begun to remove water from the network, with 10,000 litres extracted so far. Engineers would now be working to a structured plan to reintroduce gas in phases.

Scotia Gas Networks said at the conclusion of the incident it would arrange to pay compensation to householders, who would receive 30 for each day they were without gas. The compensation would be paid through individual customers' own gas supplier.

Today some pensioners have said they were forced to collect their own heaters from the company's base at West Shore Street, after being told they would be delivered to the door.

Margaret Heron, who lives in Salvesen Grove, said she had been without heating since Thursday night. The 74-year-old, who is recovering from bronchitis, said she and her husband had been forced to live in the lounge as it was the only warm room in the house.

"I called the gas company three times and they said they'd deliver the heater," she said. "We were eventually told that if we went along to the gas company they would give you two heaters and a hot plate.."

Two community centres have also had to close their doors because of the gas issues.

Amanda Hosey, a community mental health worker with Pilton Equalities Project, said her centre had been out delivering pots of soup. She added that a number of group sessions would have to be cancelled.

The Prentice Centre's manager Mary Rae, said it had cancelled its playgroups because the heaters provided by Scotia Gas Network were insufficient to heat its larger rooms.

"It'll be a huge disruption to us if it goes on until next week," she said.