ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — On Monday morning, crews with Xcel energy, the city of Englewood and Lakewood Plumbing and Heating were out at the Golden Nugget apartment complex working to restore gas service and replace a broken boiler. Residents at the complex at Broadway and Belleview have been without heat and hot water since a boiler explosion on Oct. 4.
"I’ve got a broken neck and back and it’s just been miserable being cold all the time," said resident Larry George.
Over the weekend, residents were given space heaters. On Sunday, heat and water were restored to half of the units. Sunday night into Monday morning, temperatures in the metro dipped below 20 degrees, a record low.
On Monday a spokesperson with the Apartment Association of Metro Denver said crews expected to have heat and hot water full restored by Monday. Residents hope they'll be compensated for having to spend days boiling their water or showering elsewhere.
"If we don’t hold up our end of the lease, we get charged, so if they don’t hold up their end, that would be awesome if we could get some sort of compensation," said one woman, who said she did not want to be identified.
Contact7 got in touch with SKM Management, the property owner, on Oct. 8. The company said it expected to have heat restored by Wednesday, Oct. 10. However, when Contact7 checked on Friday, the gas was still not turned on.
State Representative Jeff Bridges sent this letter to SKM management on Friday:
Dear SKM Management,
I recently became aware of a serious problem at the Golden Nugget Apartments. According 7News, this building has not had heat for a week.
In today's story, someone at your management company claimed that Xcel Energy was to blame: "Xcel Energy tells us they need two to three days because of the high volume they have. We were hoping they would be out there today to turn on the gas. We told them we had families and people without heat for over a week and that's not fair."
As a member of the Transportation and Energy Committee in the State House, I know folks at Xcel and immediately reached out to them to ask about the delay. They sent someone over, and a few hours later let me know that the building has not yet replaced their exploded boiler. It would be unsafe for Xcel to turn the gas back on.
This building is in my district. I've knocked on the doors and talked with the folks who live there. Many of them have already overcome incredible challenges—living without heat should not be another one.
Can you please update me on the steps you have taken to fix the boiler? What are the remaining obstacles? Do you need any assistance obtaining a permit for a new heater? I'd be happy to help.
Sincerely,
Representative Jeff Bridges
Colorado House District 3
