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Hot or not? The deal with hot water times

For residents and non-residents alike to discuss issues related to life in the David Russell Apartments. Visit the DRA website for general information about the hall or contact Duncan Fowler with complaints/queries.

Hot or not? The deal with hot water times

Postby Chinchilla33 on Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:20 am

Ok guys. For those of you who have actually looked through your new contract for 2005/2006, how many of you saw that new little clause about only having hot water between 7:00am and 10:30pm?

Right... and how many of you actually wash or have a shower before you go to bed?

Now, being students, I suspect that this new policy could create some serious problems. I don't know myself that many people who are asleep by 10:30pm. That's just for the weekdays. What about weekends??? We all know how hot and sweaty the bop can get.

I'd love to hear other people's views on this, but I say if this is what they're going to do then we really must talk with our student reps and the site managers to change this. People need flexibility. This is not even getting flexibility though, its about having basic cleaning facilities available to us at the time when we will be wanting to use them.

We must get this changed.

What the hell ARE we getting for that 3500 bloody quid (Yes, I am bitter, you can tell).

Your views please guys...
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Re:

Postby Wee Nic the Dobber!!!!! on Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:19 am

omg! last year we had 24 hour hot water..which is reasonable since everyone washes at different times! we had 24 heating (when it was working..)

So now we've got limitations on both of these..and they charge us.....MORE????

Gold digging....schnidurs!!!
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Re:

Postby tickly leg on Thu Aug 25, 2005 12:40 pm

As soon as I get home I am checking this out. Really?? I think other halls do this, but DRA has always had 24 hour hot water and heating and I thought it would stay that way. I always thought having any kind of restriction in any hall was unfair. You can't tell people that they'll just have to stay dirty or freeze because the hot water that was on 15 minutes ago is now off...especially when there are SO many people in DRA. It is just too difficult to ask that many people - who, may I just reiterate, are paying more than most for our halls! - to only shower at certain times.

For those of us who come home drunk at 2am and decide it's a good time to exfoliate and false tan, a curfew on hot water is something I will be seriously displeased about! I demand to speak to someone regarding this matter. Angry emails to accommodation anybody?

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Re:

Postby rob 'f*ck off' wine boy on Thu Aug 25, 2005 1:38 pm

Quoting chinchilla33 from 12:20, 25th Aug 2005


What the hell ARE we getting for that 3500 bloody quid (Yes, I am bitter, you can tell).

Your views please guys...


I'm of the same opinion, although it looks like it's a case of put up or shut up. The only argument I could think of that's worth following is the one above, i.e. that we are the most expensive self-catered hall in the uk, we do not get room cleaning (nor do I think, but the self-catering in New Hall does, and they pay less (obviously)). So why exactly do they insist on being so miserly in DRA? Well, it's probably because:

The price is bills inclusive! They know full well that the students are going to go mental with the facilities knowing that they can't be charged a penny extra (unless you make a mess..oh lovely lovely bill!).
So, this is just a means of saving the old moolah. Surely we've all noticed by now that DRA isn't a venture with the interests of the students first? (<--I know that sounds dumb - I fully appreciate the need for it to make some cash to be ploughed back in, blah blah blah).

However, I reckon (apart from not typing) that we are fucked. It's in the contract. We signed on the contract. D'oh.

(Fucking annoying you can hear someone burp at the other end of the flat though. USE INSULATION NEXT TIME)
Thought begets Heresy; Heresy begets retribution.
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Re:

Postby pinkymoo on Thu Aug 25, 2005 3:10 pm

i duno guys....i'm sure they said that to us half way through the year...but it was still 24 hour water..but then i always take a shower in the morining..so maybe i just didnt notice..hmmm
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Re:

Postby paw paw on Thu Aug 25, 2005 3:19 pm

They are cutitng down on the heating aswell! I know it doesnt sound like much but the flats really do get cold and anyone who has to be up for 9am lectures knows just how cold the place is when the heating hasnt ben on alnight! This is soooo unfair and not worth the money its costing!
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Re:

Postby ARTooD2 on Thu Aug 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Dishwashers have their own heating elements...I always thouht washingmacines did too but nowimnot so sure...

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Re:

Postby The Yettoner on Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:27 pm

When the heating's not on turn the oven on full and open the door. Worked early in the morning last year, though I'm sure the RAs would have had something to say about it if they'd known.

The water takes the mickey. Being miserly is one thing, but putting money over the hygiene of it's students is going a little bit far.

[hr]

"Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see." - Hebrews 11:1
"Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see." - Hebrews 11:1
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Re:

Postby paw paw on Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:46 pm

I can just see it now....smelly students cos they cant wash when they want to with smelly clothes cos they cant get them washed cos there arent enough washing machines for the over crowded DRA. lol
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So, where do we go from here?

Postby Chinchilla33 on Fri Aug 26, 2005 11:56 am

Well guys, I think that from the response I got from you all we can safely say that I am not the only one with qualms about this new heating and hot water policy.

I will get in contact with the DRA team and voice all of our concerns.

I'll then let you know about the response that I get and we have to take it from there. I certainly am going to push through with this however even if it means getting a group of us outside with placards.

I appreciate that DRA may be trying to cut bills here and there but at the end of the day I do very much think that we are MORE than paying for the right to have hot water when we come in at night.

Watch this space...
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Re:

Postby munchingfoo on Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:17 pm

As far as the water goes, I am right behind you. To not have hot water available 24hrs a day is ridiculous, 800 people will not be able to shower between those times every day for 9months.

But as for the heating, you guys don't realise how good you have got it.

Every other hall(inc Albany and FP) has very strict heating times. Much worse than the proposal outlined above. The only reason DRA is not the same is it would take more energy to turn the heating on and off than it would just to keep it on. I would like for my house to be heated 24hrs a day. I am usually only there between the times the heating is off, but unfortunately, unless you plan to petition to have all halls have 24hr heating, you would be fighting a losing battle on that one.

[hr]

[s]
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¬emptyGlass(pint) => drinking(Andy)
emptyGlass(pint) AND ¬stomach(full) => buy(pint)
emptyGlass(pint) AND stomach(full) => buy(vodka)
emptyGlass(vodka) => buy(vodka)
¬emptyGlass(vodka) => drinking(Andy) [/s]
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Re:

Postby meMeME on Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:00 pm

Quoting The Yettoner from 00:27, 26th Aug 2005
When the heating's not on turn the oven on full and open the door. Worked early in the morning last year, though I'm sure the RAs would have had something to say about it if they'd known.

The water takes the mickey. Being miserly is one thing, but putting money over the hygiene of it's students is going a little bit far.

[hr]

"Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see." - Hebrews 11:1


Nice one, they will now won't they?! Or do you think they can't read this page?!
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Re:

Postby The Yettoner on Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:14 pm

I tend to close the door and pretend there's something in there when anyone comes into the flat.

[hr]

"Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see." - Hebrews 11:1
"Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see." - Hebrews 11:1
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Re:

Postby King Henry on Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:39 pm

haha, thanks for the tip for heating scott 8 next year!

Seriously though, i'm also really annoyed to hear about this whole hot water curfew - it's complete rubbish. I'm not paying £3500 when i don't even get a cleaner or food so i can have enforced cold showers at times im most likely to want them at!

What if we want to wash something in hot water for a midnight snack?!
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Re:

Postby rob 'f*ck off' wine boy on Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:16 pm

Also, we aren't even allowed to stay within halls all year, because they want the precious tourists in. So, for bills exclusive, you get a flat for (on average) about 3200. We pay 3500 for what, 9 months out of 12, bills inclusive. So surely it wouldn't destroy them to let us have oooh..I dunno..hot water when we want?
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Re:

Postby Wee Nic the Dobber!!!!! on Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:22 am

well....to all first years moving into dra...bring a blankie and a hot water bottle..

the buildings tend to have "technical problems"..that mean the heatings completely off for days...

happened to me last freshers week! and my bleeding hot water bottle exploded and put water all over my bed! and i had the flu! oooh poor me!!!
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In discussion

Postby Chinchilla33 on Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:10 pm

Ok guys.

I've mailed Sarah Pay, the site manager, and she has forwarded my email to business and residential services (the guys who impose these policies).

I didn't go on about the heating, as being a bit of an eco-freak, but also realist myself, I figured that at the end of the day we can always just shut the window or put a top on if we are up when there's no heating on. It was never really a problem last year when the heating went off.

Having no hot water however really WOULD be a great problem seeing as I know of no-one who is ever asleep by 10:30pm! I've basically said that having hot water from 7:00am wouldn't seem to be too much of a problem but turning it off at 10:30pm really would cause a great deal of inconvenience, and would mean a lot of unhappy people around DRA.

Will update you with more info as soon as I get it....

Take it easy guys
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Re:

Postby Pandora on Wed Sep 14, 2005 7:56 am

A trick for the heating.
I dont know if this still works or if you guys know about it. The temp controls on the wall are set between I think 10 and 23 degrees and you rotate between them. Well if you fiddle with the dial (push it in) you can turn the heating up to 30 degrees. Shameful waste but at the time was determined to get my monies worth. I remember sleeping with the window open in January.
About the hot water situation could they not turn the hot water off mid afternoon and give you a few more hours at night.
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Still no reply!

Postby Chinchilla33 on Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:57 pm

Still waiting for that reply from Business and Residential Services. Actually mailed them myself after the residence manager forwarded my email a few weeks back, as I hadn't got a reply.

If I don't get a reply I will send the mail to a few more people and then we may have to go down other routes.

Pandora, I can see how the idea of a compromise might seem diplomatic, the thing is that turning water off in the day will STILL be preventing people from using the hot water that they have paid for in the £3568 fees. Not everyone has morning lectures, some lucky people don't have to get up and be in til late. What we want is a fair policy that works for everyone. The only way this can be brought about is by having hot water from early in the morning to late at night, as indeed it was last year.

Anyway, I will keep you updated so please keep coming back as I need everyone's support on this one.

Take it easy guys...
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No reply but an answer for you all

Postby Chinchilla33 on Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:46 pm

Heya guys.

Well, either business and res services have gone on holiday or they have decided to start sending out email via the ether. Either way, I still haven't got a reply.

Just to let you know though, I've spoken with Sarah Pay and also tried the water myself the other night/morning, at 2am.

It seems that although hot water is turned off at 10:30pm, there is still a bit left in the tanks, providing there isn't a big orgy of people in the showers.

So glad things seem to be ok. One less issue to be dealt with. I think the dirty rooms, broken and missing equiptment were issue enough for me.

Take care guys and have a great semester!
Chinchilla
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