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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —One apartment complex in Englewood has been dealing with no heat for nearly a week.
Now, those residents could be dealing with even colder temperatures over the weekend.
Residents who live the Gold Nugget Apartments called Contact 7 after several days in the deep freeze.
Last Thursday, managers turned off the gas after a leak. Since then, tenants like Darwin Padilla have had no heat and no hot water amid freezing temperatures this week.
“No heat. No water, and not being able to shower,” Padilla said. “They want us to go to some recreation park, and it’s hard for me to get around as it is. I can barely walk over to get my groceries.”
Padilla is a disabled U.S. Army Veteran. He is doing what he can to get by.
“My knee is twice the size of my other,” Padilla said. “I have bone on bone on this knee, as well as my bone. And it gets worse when it’s cold. In the past week, my apartment has been down in the fifties.”
On Monday, Denver7 contacted SKM Management— the apartment owner. They told us then that the gas would be turned on by Wednesday after a pressure test.
However, on Friday the gas was still not turned on. Denver7 called the owners again who said Xcel Energy was supposed to come out on Friday and possibly turn on the gas by Saturday.
State Rep. Jeff Bridges, whose district includes Englewood, told Denver7 that Xcel Energy is sending a crew to the complex to see if the boiler has been repaired. But the company told Denver7 late Friday that when they arrived to turn the gas back on, they found the boiler had not been repaired.
Crews can not turn the gas back on until the boiler is fixed.
Padilla told Denver7 that he turns his oven on to try and heat the apartment while he sleeps.
To help Padilla get by, Denver7 brought Padilla a small space heater.
We alerted Englewood Police to the problem. They’ve gone to the complex and offered shelter to any families that need it.
