What are white goods?
This is the name given to large items of electrical equipment found in the kitchen or utility room. These items tend to be white in colour and include:
- Fridge/freezer
- Cooker
- Hob
- Hob extractor hood
- Washing machine
- Tumble dryer
- Dishwasher
An amount for the repair/ replacement of certain white goods and items of furniture is collected within the service charges for most, but not all, Progress Care Housing Association properties. If you are not sure who owns particular items of furnishing and equipment in your home then contact the Housing Officer for your area.
Repairs to white goods that Progress Care Housing has responsibility for
If a repair is needed to an item of white goods or furnishing that Progress Care Housing has responsibility for then you should contact us (click here for details) and give the: -
• Full details of the repair needed
• Property address
• Telephone number
Our housing management staff will try to arrange for a contractor to visit the property within 2 working days to assess the problem and/or carry out the repair, where possible. If parts have to be ordered the contractor will advise you how long you will have to wait. Please note: where an item is still under guarantee PCHA will be bound by its terms and cannot influence the timescale in which a visit takes place.
The contractor will contact the tenant or support agency staff to arrange a suitable date and time to carry out the repair. Where there have been a number of previous repairs carried out to the same piece of equipment Progress Care Housing may ask the contractor to assess the job and report back to ourselves as to whether it is cost effective to carry out another repair.
Acknowledging the repair request
For every white goods & furnishing repair ordered we will send you a confirmation of the repair ordered and tell you the target date for completing the repair.
Giving us feedback about the service we provide
The above acknowledgement letter will include a short questionnaire asking for feedback about our contractor's performance. We would be grateful if you would take the time to complete this because it helps us improve our service.
Replacement of existing appliances/furnishings where Progress Care Housing has responsibility
The Housing Officer will assess the condition of each piece of furniture and white goods provided by Progress Care Housing at the annual scheme review of the property. Appliances are not automatically replaced if they still continue to work satisfactorily.
Choices of replacement appliances/furniture
Where an appliance/item of furniture is to be replaced, PCHA expects the support agency to assist the tenant(s), if necessary, in making a choice about the type of replacement they want. However, the choice of appliance/furniture must also be within Progress Care Housing's policy requirements, as follows: -
• All furniture purchased needs to be of a suitable quality and robustness to suit tenants' needs, as well as meeting required safety standards (e.g. fire retardency).
• White goods should have ‘A'-rated energy efficiency.
• Wooden furniture must come from sustainable sources.
Responsibility for disposing of furniture and electrical equipment
Your local Council will be able to tell you about arrangements for the disposal of bulky household items in your area. Sometimes they make a charge for this service. Progress Care Housing will only pay this charge where we provided the furnishing/equipment in the first place. It will be the tenant's responsibility to pay for the removal of any other items. It is essential that tenants or their support staff arrange for the proper disposal of all electrical equipment in line with hazardous waste regulations.
To report a white goods repair please telephone your Housing Assistant on 01772 450888 between the hours of 9am - 5.15 pm Monday - Thursday and 9am - 4.45pm on Friday.
