A Flintshire family has been without heating on and off for one month after struggling to receive assistance from the energy company OVO. 

Leanne Thomas lives in Buckley with her two children, aged one and two, partner and his mother. 

After experiencing problems with her boiler in the property just after Christmas the family was switched to a different meter on December 29. 

Whilst the family awaited the arrival of their top up card they were provided with £20 on the meter.

The family then received a further £10 top up one week later which lasted two-three days, leaving the family without gas or central heating during plummeting temperatures at the start of January. 

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Leanne said: "I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old, so with no heating and not being able to even heat up food it was really difficult."

The family has still not received their top up card and has been without gas for several long periods over the past month. 

Leanne said: "Sometimes we have had to call seven or eight times before the company have promised to send an engineer, and then it could be hours and hours of waiting before they come, sometimes days."

The family is forced to shower and cook at relatives' houses.

Leanne said: "They said we would receive our card in 48 hours however we still haven't received it, it doesn't make sense."

She continued: "The kids have been walking around in hats, gloves and snowsuits to stay warm and myself, my partner and the kids have all had to sleep in the same bed as it is freezing in the night."

The family was without central heating during the recent drop in temperature and had to invest in an electric heater which costs around £1 an hour to run. 

The family has reported that an engineer returned on Friday, January 27, at around 10.30pm to put a further £10 worth of gas on the meter, however, the family has still not received their top up card. 

Leanne and her family were originally with the energy provider SSE Energy Service however as the company was purchased by OVO Energy in 2020 they have been changed over to this supplier from January 2022. 

An OVO spokesperson said: “We can confirm Mr Parry’s meter has been changed and a new top-up card sent. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience caused and will be issuing a goodwill amount to apologise.”